


Udo isle

by Straycheesseeuu



Series: Stray Kids altern universes [1]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternative Perspective, Anxiety, Bottom Lee Minho | Lee Know, Fluff and Angst, Han Jisung | Han & Hwang Hyunjin are Best Friends, Han Jisung | Han is Whipped, Lee Felix & Lee Minho | Lee Know are Best Friends, Lee Minho | Lee Know has Anxiety, M/M, Minor Bang Chan/Lee Felix, Minor Hwang Hyunjin/Seo Changbin, Minor Kim Seungmin/Yang Jeongin | I.N, Rich Lee Minho | Lee Know, Shy Lee Minho | Lee Know, Summer Romance, Summer Vacation, Top Han Jisung | Han
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 09:47:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 29,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28723107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Straycheesseeuu/pseuds/Straycheesseeuu
Summary: As far as Minho knows, life isn't very pleasing. The goal is to have enough money to pay the taxes your future perfect family will have, everyone wants that huge house in the city and to work as a lawyer in the centre of Seoul.Is there more than that?One summer, Minho is sent to Udo. A lonely island near by Jeju, where his supposed divorced auntie and his cousent live.Thought at first it was karma once again making one of his tricks, Minho ends up falling in love with the peaceful warm weather of the island. As well as the tanned blonde-haired surfer.Maybe Udo wasn't that bitter anymore after that.His new friends were nice.And maybe he started to actually live.
Relationships: Bang Chan & Lee Felix, Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Hwang Hyunjin & Seo Changbin
Series: Stray Kids altern universes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2105670
Comments: 12
Kudos: 49





	1. Dizzy arrival

Minho tossed his slim figure a few times trying to catch up with his messed sleeping schedule.

People couldn't dare to approach him due to the dark bags under his eyes, that made his expressions colder. Scarier to admit.

Even thought he wasn't a fan of the 'getting-to-know' conversations, his parents definitely were.  
And that was enough reasoning for him to try to sleep.

However, he didn't control his own mind at night. By that he meant that no matter how hard he tried to keep his eyes shut they continued to burst out open.  
Shaking him awake whenever some random noise echoed in the empty room.

'Fuck' he mumbled half-asleep. 

It was early in the morning, five to be precise, a rough time to suddenly jolt out of the bed because of a nightmare. Minho hated them, so much. Once he even cried himself for hours just because of how frequent they were and how frustrated he felt by not being able to fall back to sleep again.

Minho sat up, lifting his torso, as he scanned his dark room. Nothing was unfamiliar, it was a gesture he always did when the dreams were too real.

Half an hour in the deep silence, Minho looked at his nightstand. Feeling with his hand, carefully, he held a small can of pills. Until his arm didn't reach back on to his bed, the lid remained closed.  
His gestures were clumsy as his eyes closed slowly, still dozen off, Minho dropped one of the small pills in his mouth and hardly swolled it.

'Back to it' He whispered to who ever could be at that time in his room.

This time he really had to make an effort to sleep.  
Even if it was a few hours, but he really needed strength for tomorrow's (Actually already today) trip.

Minho wasn't very excited when he received the news from his beloved parents. Not that he enjoyed calling them that. But since they had the wonderful idea of sending him far away for his hole summer holidays, without asking for his opinion. They deserve that title. Don't they?

Minho walked back from school, absorbed in the beat his earplugs transmitted to his veins.  
He had a song preference depending on what places or roads he took. It made him feel like if his life was one of those happy musical movies, where every scene has it's on special sound track.

Yet, this happiness was temporary once his feet made to reach the doorstep. Brushing the dirt from his sole on the black mat in front of his big blank door.

"I'm back" Minho spoke out loud. He didn't cared to scream to make sure everyone inside the walls heard his arrival. He was never welcomed anyway, most of the time the house was empty. But it was all manners one of his nannies had teached him back in the days.

"Good afternoon Minho, how was your day?" His mother, Jiwoo, humbled across the entrance. Her sight stuck on the screen of her phone, ignoring completely the fact that Minho had already left the room

He was now, sat on his matress while unduing his tie.

"Minho, leaving the room without even talking back is plain rude" Jiwoo took her words back after locking eyes with a crying Minho.

She froze.

"Take your meds, and come to the living room as soon as you finish. We need to talk" mentioned closing the door. Leaving him emotionless.

That was very nice. What a great recommendation.

It had always been like that when Minho had panic attacks or slight anxiety attacks. They leave him to deal with it on his own.  
He dried his cheeks with the tip of his jumper's sleeve, roughly tinting red the zones he dried. Minho had ended learning how to deal with sudden attacks on his own even if it was very hard to live it.

There was nothing else to do. Nobody was going to help him to get through them, somehow he had to fight and find a way out of those moments on his own.

Minho had finally found his safe corner of the room, his body collapsed on the wall as he dropped his weight slowly. Feeling the carpet suck his legs.  
The room spinned in different directions, from that place he was sat it was way easier to control the actual size of the room.

Not too big, not too small. Just a size, that he could now control.  
His lungs now filled in with some fresh air, let Minho open his dry eyes. Looking around to remember how to stand up, Minho extended his arm to reach his saviour.

The red pill. Hidden inside his pill box, he swallowed it hardly letting it drop all the way down to his stomach. Safe in him, Minho continued to get changed. Sniffing time to time. To, finally, open his door shaky.

The corridor was dark, but uninteresting. No matter how many hours Minho had stood in it analysing what was wrong with it to be so ugly in his eyes, he never got to find it pretty. Maybe it was the loss of colours or the minimalistic white furniture. But surely some of it was related to the ugly paintings hanged on the walls.

How could people pay so much money for something that ugly? It was like if a kid had painted it while being sick and half-asleep.

They made no sense.  
And that was the exact reason why people brought them, because they didn't stop to ask themselves what was the artist thinking while painting it and what really was that thing. The paints were there to remind everyone how much money does the house owner actually own.

So Minho at the end, gave up on finding the pretty in his house. Because there wasn't. It was all materialistic feeling.

"Hello son, sit down" commanded Hangyeol, Minho's most hated figure in the house. His father.

Minho followed up to sit on the coach. Facing them speechless, just waiting for them to say whatever suprised they had planned.

"Minho, we decided to send you out for summer holidays" Jiwoo spoke on her monotone voice. Waiting for Minho to at least make some suprised expression. 

But he didn't.  
He remained emotionless.  
Minho nodded twice, waiting to know more about where they were going to send him for four months.

Was he expect this? No, of course he wasn't. He thought they would let him drawn in his matress for the hole summer as all the years of his meaningless life.  
But he couldn't do anything about it, why bothering on commenting about it if he can't even reject their offer.

"Where may I ask" finally his craspy voice echoed in the silent room, due to the last half an hour crying.

"Do you remember Aunt Joo and your cousent Hara?" Minho nodded with doubt to his father question. 

His memory was always blurry, but he did remember small things that made him feel happy. Like little moments with some old woman, colourful looking, and a little girl. Short-black hair, maybe a few years older than him? 

Both femines kept appearing sometimes in his dreams, full with laughter and cheerful moments. But Minho was a kid back them, he knew nothing about their existence anymore. They were like dreaming angels.

"Well, they live in an island near Jeju and decided to take you in for a while"

Minho wanted to know if his only aunt wanted to actually see him or was this all made up by his parents to kick him out. But the anxiety climbed his back, swallowing dryly, he would never risk to ask something like that to them.

"Okay" Minho shortly answered, standing up and bending "If you excuse me, I have to prepare my stuff for it then, good afternoon" he excused himself with no answer from his parents. And closed the door of his room once he was alone again.

Great. Summer holidays.

Finally standing up from his bed, Minho smashed with annoyance the alarm clock that rang furiously. He knew it was six in the morning, because he didn't get to fall asleep after waking up an hour ago.

Without second due, Minho roughly passed his hands through out his black hair a few times. Rubbing his eyes, finally able to see the light that now filled his room blending with the black walls.

Time advanced as he showered nervously, dressed and took his bags outside the messy room. Probably organized later on by one of his service ladies.

Minho made sure he had everything he needed, most importantly his pill box. He couldn't live without them, he really couldn't. The windows up in the ceiling decorated the kitchen radiantly, drawing rainbows as the sun rays collide with the reflection on the white marmol. 

Minho smiled softly, now that was a beautiful painting that he would hang on his house.

Walking down the staircase, both hands ocuppied by the suitcases, Minho watched his steps minutely. Trying his best not to fall.  
The last step eventually arrived for Minho to reach the floor, letting go of the heavy luggage and leading to the soft drawn kitchen. 

Minho was shaking, every step he took his legs wobbled and made him sure to remind him how scared he was. He never left his room if it wasn't because his stomach reminded him that he had to eat. More or less, his only reason to go outside was his best and only friend, Felix.

Sometimes they went to the cinema or some random park to spend the time together. However Felix didnt live in Seoul, hence the few memories they had together were always in the same places.

Felix knew Minho's fears and never minded to adapt his own hobbies to him. 

They were good friends, sadly far apart. Tho they always talked, Minho missed his australian friend every hour. 

Yet this summer, they weren't going to be able to see each other. Because of Minho's random holidays at Jeju, Felix had been sent to visit some of his mother old friends.  
It was going to be three numb months for sure, Minho knew if Felix wasn't by his side, going on holidays made no sense.

Sometimes he thought that Felix was his actual brother but separated when they were born.

Minho picked from the fridge two bottles of his favourite juice to drink it on the plane. His stomach wasn't in the mood of receiving food just yet, besides, he always gets dizzy in the mornings if he's full.

"Sir Minho, the car is awaiting to take you to the airport" 

"Thank you" At first he hummed, even if the bodyguard didn't care, Minho was dying inside of the inner shame he now felt. 

But without further regret he gently closed the refrigerator. clutching both bottles in his hands, feeling the cold in his palm.  
Minho turned to take a closer look at his house, smiling softly at the roof window's view of the sky.

Luckily his aunt's town was small and sparsely populated. otherwise, Minho wouldn't survive even a week.  
Not without Felix. 

Stepping out of the front door, Minho felt his hands shaking along with his legs. All accompanied by the suffocating feeling of agony in his chest. 

There was no going back, he had to sit in the car and catch the long-awaited flight to Jeju.

This time, he wasn't going to escape. 

Minho ducked his head carefully into the car. He knew for sure that he wanted to run right now to his room again. Without looking back, to shut himself in and cry himself to sleep. 

But if his father found out that his son is a coward. He would surely yell at him how despicable he is between filthy words as Jiwoo watches from the slot in the door, not saying a single word. 

The rain accompanied his feeling of pain, Minho always stopped to hear the rain whenever he could. The snap of the drop falling and breaking on the glass was music to his ears. And surely for many other ears. 

Will it rain in Jeju? He had read something about the weather on the island. It was very hot in the day but heartbreakingly cold at night. 

If his memory was correct, the rains there were wrapped in great waves of maritime wind. So most of them became small hurricanes or large maritime storms. 

Maritime... the sea. 

Minho had never been to the beach, had never stepped on the soft sand, had never been dyed under the rays of the sun. He hadn't even tried surfing big waves.  
Was that life in Jeju? 

The people who lived there have surely done those things. They probably are the kings of the tide without a doubt. 

But when Minho arrives he will be the laughingstock of the whole town. He can't even swim. And he's going to spend the whole summer in the middle of the sea.  
Minho felt the anxiety grow in his chest again as he looked out the window. 

He was useless, Minho didn't know about housework, he was bad with signs and maps. He also did not know how to swim or play sports.  
And above all, he was afraid to make friends. 

He didn't know what his parents were thinking when they came up with the brilliant idea of just sending him to an island with two (basically) strangers. 

Between so many thoughts and music alternated with the rain. Minho had finally arrived at the airport. 

But, he didn't remember that they were so big .. He didn't even remembered stepping in one in his entire life. 

To be honest, Minho was at a loss as soon as he walked through the identification doors. The only thing visible in his eye was the amount of people there were. 

Of all sizes, shapes, colors and languages. All waiting patiently for their flight in their corresponding rows. 

"Excuse me!" Minho suddenly felt a push on his shoulder, almost falling to the ground. 

The world stopped spinning as Minho's vision began to blur. His arms had lost control, rather his whole body had lost control. 

Minho just felt like he was choking on his heavy breathing. 

"Excuse me ... careful coming through" 

Somehow, his body was dragged through the crowd of people.  
Until wherever he was, there was silence. 

"Take a deep breath, in and out" Minho followed with difficulty the steps of the unknown voice. Breathing between tremors "You can do it, you almost have it"

His feet touched the ground, just as his hands began to touch the chair he was supposedly sitting on.  
Minho blinked slowly in rhythm with his breathing, finally focusing his vision on the person who had saved his life. 

Handsome.  
That was the first impression that crossed Minho's mind. The elegant boy with the beautiful facial features was very handsome.  
Some strains of his hair glided across his forehead with perfection, exposing his ragged, intense dark orbs. A sweet freckle under his left eye as a detail. His tight lips were pink finished in a soft smile. 

His savior was really attractive.  
Minho had never seen someone like him. Even Felix with his foreigher features was below him. 

"Can you hear me?" Minho nodded shyly as the boy gave a big smile "Perfect, I'm sorry I pushed you ... My name is Hyunjin, nice to meet you"

Somehow, this Hyunjin reminded Minho of Felix. His impetuous speech was familiar as were his expressive gestures. 

"It's fine, my name is Minho, thanks for helping me" his voice was fine as a knitting thread. but Hyunjin didn't seem to care. 

"It was nothing Minho, by the way what flight do you take?" Due to all the anxiety at the time, Minho had completely forgotten what he had come for from the beginning. 

He had to catch his flight. 

"Oh no...I'm late, and I don't know where to catch the flight"

Hyunjin chuckled in Minho's panic, confusing him even more than he already was. 

"Where are you going? Maybe I can help you"

Minho gave Hyunjin his ticket. Looking forward to him saying 'I think I know where it is, let me help you' or something like that. Time was running out, but Hyunjin smiled with his white teeth.

"Are you going to Udo? Me too! Come on, let me help you"

Minho didn't know where Hyunjin got so much energy in a place as sweltering as the airport. 

But without further ado, they both left the cleaning room to run through the corridors. Minho without losing sight of the blonde hair of his just made friend. 

"Here we are, just in time" Hyunjin swept his hand over his forehead, in a sight. While watching Minho breathe heavily.

They had run through almost from one corner of the airport, all the way to the other. A hole marathon.

"Thank you" Minho said breathless. 

"You're welcome" 

Minho had finally managed to sit in his corresponding place on his flight. He had forgotten about the people for a moment when Hyunjin was in his company. But somehow they lost sight of each other while crossing a tunnel.

Nevertheless, he had finally gotten in the plane. It was spacious, he could move freely knowing he wouldn't accidentally hit the chair en front of him and annoy the passenger.

The seats had a pillow neatly left on the table beside it. Dark blue and curved, made for the necks for you to sleep.

As for the tv stuck on the back of the chairs, it was quite big. There were a few plug-in's to connect your console or any controller you had brought with you.

But Minho prefer to just chill down on his seat, with some music.

Lucky he had the window and could stare at the view through it.

'Here we go' 

Diving into his own world. Minho read again his ticket.  
He wasn't going to exactly Jeju but Udo. An island right beside it, small without airports but ferries. Just like Hyunjin had excitedly said to him before. 

A smile was drawn on his face.  
Hyunjin sounded very nice to be friends with, he held a few chats with him and actually enjoyed them.

Sadly, Minho might not see him ever again.

"Wow, what a surprise" 

Or maybe he will.

Hyunjin's melodious voice sounded again. Pulling Minho out of his thoughts. He stood looking at where Minho was sat with another one of his radiant smiles, almost about to laugh about the coincidence.

Hyunjin had beautiful body proportions, his legs were long just like his torso. Now that he pulled his luggage inside the suit cabinet above their heads with such ease, Minho was able to understand how Hyunjin had the strength to carry him before all the way to the little room.

"Hyunjin?"

In comfortable silence, Hyunjin sat on the chair next to Minho. Returning to outline another smile. Honestly, Minho felt his stomach turn every time he did that, and he would probably dream of his dazzling smile for days. His eyes turned into half-crescent moons every time Hyunjin did that.

"We sit together too? Too many coincidences to just have met" Minho smiled gently at Hyunjin's playful tone. 

Luckily, he was distracted by tapping various things on the screen in the front seat so he didn't seem to notice Minho's stupid smile. 

"You should smile more, you have a very pretty one"

Or so Minho thought until Hyunjin told him that, still not meeting his eyes with Minho's. 

"T-thanks" He suddenly stuttered. 

Minho wasn't used to being complimented. The only one who did it to him was Felix, but every time they saw each other.  
So he heard a very few compliments not so often.

Sitting besides Hyunjin made him tensed up. It was a three and half hours flight, he was going to see Minho eat and probably sleep. What if the way he ate was weird or once he is asleep, he drips saliva? Hyunjin will laugh at him for the rest two hours and probably just see him as a kid.

"You have never taken a flight, have you?"

The question got Minho off guard, blinking a few times as he locked eyes with Hyunjin. 

"Pardon?"

"This is the first time you go on an airplane, right?"

Surprise.  
How did he notice? Was it that obvious? They could try to talk about something else instead of Minho's lack of knowledge about airports.

Minho didn't know how to relate to other people and share his hobbies with them. Most of the time he felt like he was going to be judged on whatever he thought or liked, so he made no effort to open up. 

But this time, Hyunjin had never commented on the way Minho spoke or did things. He hadn't even asked a single question about the panic attack he'd had in the middle of the crowd earlier. 

It was comfortable. Talking to Hyunjin was relaxing.  
So he tried to this time, instead of avoiding chatting, to have a conversation.

"No, I had never traveled"

Minho clenched his fists waiting for Hyunjin's laugh or comment to mock him. 

"Wow, how brave. Traveling the first time by yourself"

The whispers between each other stopped a moment. Brave? Hyunjin had called him brave for taking a flight alone?  
There were thousands of ways to embarrass him and laugh at his little knowledge in flights yet Hyunjin had decided to praise him and call him brave. 

"Really?" 

It was all the amazed Minho could say. No one had ever been so sweet to him the first time they met.

"Sure, I would had never done that. I can imagine how scary it is to go somewhere by yourself for the first time"

Very, very scary, especially when you never leave your room. Tho that was a very sweet way to see the situation, Minho would had never felt brave for it.

He had been trembling all the time, not mentioning the nausea and tears he has tried to realese since he got in the car. Minho didn't even reach the gates on his own but had to find help from a random guy that saved him from choking.

Is that really brave?

"I would never have seen it that way..thanks Hyunjin"

Hyunjin smiled again. This time in a softer way.

"It's nothing Minho"

The rest of the flight was silent. Maybe sharing one or two things about why they were going to Udo.

Hyunjin had told Minho that he was actually from Udo. But since all the local dancing academies where in Seoul, he had to live a double life.

He didn't sound like he minded thought. Hyunjin spoke relatively fast, it got a few sentences for Minho to get used to his way to speak.

Hyunjin had also mentioned that he comes to Udo in summers just to see his friends and his boyfriend. Which the last thing got Minho suprised. 

They must be waiting for him them... Just like Minho had his supposed aunt and cousent waiting for him too.  
Yet it was different. Hyunjin's family moved from Udo a long time ago to Seoul, he really was just going there to see his friends.

Will Minho ever do that for someone?  
It was such a beautiful thing to do. Now that he thought about it slower, Felix was always the one that came to his house.  
He took a train from Busan all the way to Seoul just to meet up with Minho.

Minho has never done that.

And hearing Hyunjin's stories about his friends dressing up specially to just pick him up from the station, made him want to cry.

"So I'll spend all the summer at Changbin's house"

Changbin was his already mentioned boyfriend. Hyunjin hadn't talked about his past, nor about how he met his friends or his boyfriend. But whoever heard him talk could feel that their friendships had been going on for quite a long time.

He spoke softly, describing the smallest details of his 'pick-up stories', himself in love with his memories.

Minho listened carefully. Not talking and trying to catch up to all information Hyunjin spoke.

"It sounds..nice" That's all Minho had finally said after Hyunjin finishing his long story.

In silence he nodded, almost closing his eyes.  
Hyunjin brushed his hand through his long blonde dyed hair to cross his arms over his chest. 

"Mind if I rest for a while?" 

"No, it's fine"

Hyunjin, with his eyes totally shut, smiled softly at Minho's direction. He looked exhausted, after all he came from Gangnam. There are no airlines that go to Jeju from that city, Hyunjin had woken early in the morning just to pick up all the buses or trains needed to reach in time to his flight. In Seoul.

'He really did all that for his friends'

It recalled in Minho's head the smile Hyunjin had while explaining his stories of the island. The times when there were no big ferries but little boats you had to pull yourself.

Or even when there were no trains from Gangnam to Seoul so he had to go through the city on bike. Hyunjin sighted while holding the bridge of his nose, remembering how tiring it was for him.

What an adventure his life was. If only Minho wasn't such a coward, he would do things like those too.

For Felix per example.  
After hearing Hyunjin, he definetly wanted to ask Felix about his adventures too on his way to Seoul. How many weird people did he crossed his way with or if he ever got in the wrong train and had to hop off as soon as possible, before ending in the other part of Korea.

That had occurred to Hyunjin once. Minho giggled as he remembered the hole story, from the worst morning to the worser ending day, Hyunjin had passed through such storms that day. He almost gave up on spending the summer in Udo.

But ended up going anyways.  
Because Hyunjin was a fighter.

Not like Minho. Who ran away from his problems each time they gotten complicated.

"Hey Minho, wake up" 

Minho blinked his eyes a few times before yawning softly. He had fell asleep after a while of thinking, it was boring when Hyunjin fell asleep so he did the same.

"We arrived to Jeju" 

Hyunjin smiled softly as he spoke to the half-awake Minho.  
What a good sleep he had, there were no neighbours screaming beside him. No parents talking out loud on their phones about some new market opening up. No cars passing by, blasting their horrible modern music...

He had the deep sleep he had been waiting to have for years. Funny how it was outside his house. 

"Right, thank you for waking me up" 

"Don't mention it"

Hyunjin helped Minho pick up his suit case from the shelf above their heads while discussing what to do next.

Minho listened carefully at Hyunjin's voice of experience. He gave a short but interesting explanation about the small ferry that they had to take from Jeju to Udo. Which Minho actually awaited anxiously.

Hyunjin commented how the air slipped through your hair while riding it. How the water splashed carefully on your face as the dolphins swim next to you.

The sea..

How wonderful it sounded.

Dropping their luggage off to the ground, Hyunjin stretched in the middle of the just arrived airport.  
Finally they could feel their body without being sat on a chair.

Minho laughed at how Hyunjin started a small yoga session in the middle of the huge room, not caring about people passing by and smiling at him.

They had only just arrived to Jeju and it was already ten times hotter than in Seoul. Now Minho understood why Hyunjin wore such fine and delicate summer clothes even if it rained.

"The scent of the sea is so deep here, not as sweet as in Udo but it's still nice. Right?"

Minho was still amused at the different style of people they had crossed with to reach the out-doors.  
Both of them, stuck together all the time. 

"Right.. " 

This was the maritime scent Minho just imagined the other night, the same relaxing smell of the fragrance candles he brought in the small parlour corner of his town every summer.

The difference was that, this one was much deeper. Much real, just as Hyunjin had mentioned a few seconds before.

It circled right inside your lungs, relaxing your body and automatically making you think of the sea.

"Now that we're here, we need to get on a bus to the ferry station" 

"Are we near the ocean?"

"No, we aren't. Actually Jeju's airport is far from it"

Minho found something attractive in the way Hyunjin knew where they were.  
He had the most deepest stories about any place near Udo to be told, and Minho couldn't stop asking for more of them.

He felt like a little kid.  
As he died of curiosity.

"Oh.. But the scent?"

"I know, it's very salty. Tho we're far, Jeju is surrounded by the sea, so it always smells like this" 

Minho nodded as they started walking toward the nearest bus station. To pick up their next journey.

"I like it"

Hyunjin chuckled at Minho's honesty. Although he wanted to take back what he just had said, he sounded like some weird aromatic obsessed guy. Hyunjin seemed to enjoy his way to speak.

"Trust me, if you like Jeju, Udo is going to mark you forever" 

He hoped so.

He had been hoping that since his parents had announced this crazy trip. To spend a good time with out reaching out to his pills every so often.

Enjoy the freedom of an isle and the soft wether of the hot summer. 

He hoped it really marked him. For good.  
So he could dream with his adventure for weeks and weeks, willing to come back.

"Pass me your ticket, the bus is free if your boarding from the airport to the another station"

"Okay"

What would had Minho done without Hyunjin by his side?  
None of this things were mentioned to him before crossing the door. How was he even supposed to know that the ticket helped you to take all the things you needed? 

Minho didn't even know that a ferry was needed to get to Udo. He thought that going on a plane was enough.

'Thank you parents' he thought.

But finally had sat on the summer bus, next to what it looked like his new companion, Hyunjin.

"I can't wait to reach Udo and kiss Changbin" 

It was curious how Hyunjin didn't care at all about people's opinion on him. He could say out loud that he was gay and didn't care at all about how the rest of the people around him would talk or look at him.

Minho had just met him, and he openly knew about how much Hyunjin loved his 'surfer boyfriend'.

"Is he waiting for you?"

"Of course, all of my friends are. There's this small ferry station were we meet up, after all Udon has different towns. Once they pick you up from there, you go to your town"

That was as sweet as a strawberry with melted chocolate on top.

How did it feel to reach your place with a tired ass to see your friends waving at you at the far end of the station? Waiting endlessly to hug you after so long?

"Is there someone waiting for you? Right you said that you were visiting your aunt and cousin"

"Yeah, I guess they are the ones waiting" 

Hyunjin tapped Minho's shoulder softly.

"It feels nice to have someone waiting for you. Doesn't it?"

"I guess so" 

The time on the bus was spent quite quickly. Even if it was a two hour trip to the coast, with Hyunjin talking to him and showing photos of Changbin. The time passed quite fast.

There was a few moments of silence in which Minho decided to text his best friend about how was he doing and his new made friend.

Who now fell asleep, with his head pressed on Minho's shoulder softly. Not going to lie, that gesture was making Minho holding a small anxiety attack.

12:34 pm MINHO

hey Lix 

How are you doing there?

I've almost arrived Udo and met

this wonderful guy on my way

12:40 pm L I X

Omg how are you?

It's alright here, cold lol 

You made a friend?

12:42 pm MINHO

Yeah well not really

But he helped me out with all

The airplane things

He's very sweet

He's from Udo so we're together

12:45 pm L I X 

I'm glad you found someone

To help you out with it

I need to go

My mom is really annoying with 

All the luggage thingy, text me once you arrive!

Xxxxxx 

12:47 pm MINHO

Yeah

No worries, I will

Xx

"Is that your friend?"

Hyunjin had silently woke up from his little nap on Minho's shoulder.  
He didn't look at the screen of his phone, but at the window view.

"Yeah, my best friend"

Hyunjin smiled as he turned to face Minho once again. The trip was soon going to end and he was already wondering how to ask for Hyunjin's number.

Minho wanted to keep contact with him. He felt nice and sweet, like he could listen to his rants or talk about how his summer was going while Minho lay on his future summer house's bed.

But Hyunjin would probably think that he wants to stalk him. Minho sounded desperate when he said he wanted friends to talk to, and that could get transmitted to the people around him.

So probably Hyunjin noticed it and will never give his contact to some desperate guy he just met.

The road came to an end, and Minho felt like he trembled much more than in the beginning of his journey. Soon, he would reach Udo, everyone waiting for him.

He will enter in his aunt's house, and just stay there with nothing to do but share conversations with his cousent. 

The night before leaving Seoul, Minho had looked up some photo albums his mom had hidden up in the attic. Photos of him and the older girl, Hara, were everywhere. They seem to be close in their childhood, but now he had somehow lost contact with all his family members.

Minho didn't had much family. They were quite small truth to be told, but he had old good memories about them. The btmirthdays parties they celebrated together, as the family trips...

What happened to all that?

Why doesn't he barely remember how does his own aunt and his own cousin look like? How old are they?

"Finally the last part of our journey!"

Hyunjin excitedly walk out of the bus, followed by a looking-down Minho.  
He had suddenly felt horror when his eyes met the ferry's station.

But he couldn't turn back now.

"Hey Minho, everything good?" 

He nodded.

Hyunjin pulled up his luggage to walk towards the big but rusty ferry station.  
It was old enough to look like if it camed from Narnia. The metal was dusty, with wrinkles on the flags hanged at the top of the building. The colours were barely visible, probably absorbed by the light of the sun within the years.

Hyunjin's happiness grew bigger as they became closer to their destiny. But Minho's anxiety grew too.

"Oh, that's new" 

Minho scanned the old station little by little. Every detail made it even more surreal. The black and white photographs taken by some random person looked from afar like paintings.

They were actual photos of Udo, back in the 90's.

"What's new?"

Hyunjin pointed at the boats floating at the end of the local. The station had half of it on floor and half on water, so you could take the boat right from inside of it.

"You can choose what boat to go on, that's modern"

Minho locked eyes with one of the boat men that waited with a smile to be picked by one of the passengers. 

But Hyunjin's laugh jolted him. The blonde boy walked faster towards that same boat guy and high fived him.  
Minho remembered how Hyunjin told him about the small population Udo had, so it was quite easy to be known by most of them.

"How have you been doing Mark?" 

The tall male, now seem to be called Mark, chuckled with joy at the suprised he just saw. Minho observed both of the known friends from afar, until Hyunjin reached out to him and pulled him toward the Mark guy.

Minho panicked.

"This is a friend, his name is Minho. Minho, this is Mark, he lives in Udo"

"A pleasure to meet you Minho"

A lot of things had happened all of a sudden for Minho to catch up with it. Hyunjin had presented him as his friend, first of all.  
That suprised Minho more than the fact that both of Udo residents seemed to meet in such a funny place like the station.

Friend? They just met each other in an accident, how could they be friends?

Minho bended slightly to greet Mark. He didn't dare to speak, knowing his voice would probably crack as he tried to thank him back.

"There isn't much people, want me to take you in a private boat?" 

"That would be amazing, thanks dude"

Minho was once again, thankful to have Hyunjin by his side in his trip.  
How would it been if he hadn't met him and took a very full boat, even paying for it?

Luckily that wasn't going to happen. Mark mentioned with a smile not to pay him the small trip, he had been waiting to do something for the hole day.

Not many people went to Udo, Minho thought that it was a bit more famous than it looked. But barely people visited Udo for the hole summer.

Hyunjin was right. It felt magical the way the wind slipped though his hair as the ocean mist flew all over the sky.  
The deep scent of the ocean's salt relaxed every tensed muscle Minho had from a few moments ago. 

Suddenly, he felt gently water drops on his face. Minho turned to see a dolphin playing around the boat. Jumping up and down in different directions, while screeching his curious voice.

"It's beautiful" 

Minho accidently said out loud. Both of the other boy's turned to see him, as they chuckled.

Great.  
They were probably laughing at how dumb he sounded saying that, and probably will remember him as the guy that found the splash of the dolphins beautiful.

Minho gulped hardly as he turned to face the ocean view again. He better not say anything.

"Minho, look upon! That's Udo!" 

Finally, after a few minutes of silence between him and the Udo residents. There was a small dot deep in the line where the sea meets the sky.

Is people surfing at this hour?  
It's lunch time, so everyone will probably be having a wonderful family lunch at their home.

Instead, Minho is dragging his aunt and his cousin to loose their lunch just so they can pick him up.  
So unfair for them.

What was awaiting him in that green spot in the middle of the ocean?

What kind of people was he going to meet there?

Were the Udo residents fine with foreigners?

Minho felt a sudden arm slide though his neck, as his eyes kept lost at the blurry view. 

"In about thirty minutes we will be there, finally"

Hyunjin sounded relief as he spoke, maybe because of the tiredness that accompied him all the way from Gangnam. 

Minho smiled gently at Hyunjin. His dyed blonde hair flew in the wind, it was quite long. Minho had never met a man with such long hair, but it suited him perfectly. Every detail Hyunjin had matched perfectly with his out stunning personality, he wondered what kind of guy is he so in love with?

Is Changbin as talker and energetic as Hyunjin?

Minho always thought love was a waste of time. It only brought you pain and attachment, once you fall in love your life is over.  
Your mind gets absorbed by that person as your daily life. Is like being in a cage.

"Hyunjin, can I keep your contact?"

Minho's voice trembled as he spoke over a whisper. Hyunjin, minded his own business when it came to that, and just nodded pulling his iPhone out of his pocket.

"Sure, I was going to ask you the same!"

Hyunjin's lockscreen was a photo of himself sat at the beach. Probably one of Udo's beaches.  
But as he unlocked his phone, his wallpaper transformed into a more private one, Hyunjin Kissing his boyfriend with a beautiful sunset falling at the back.

Yet Minho's phone was plain black. He had no photos with Felix even thought their relationship was very close. Hence the poor value his phone had for him, Minho memorized his parents and Felix's phone number. That's why loosing it wouldn't be a big deal.

"There we go, I'm glad I've met you Minho. It was a great adventure"

Right, he was probably going to never forget this new memory with his just made friend. Minho suddenly felt something grow in his stomach, it was probably the anxiety of almost arriving to isle, right?

"Yeah thank you for it"

"Nah, thank you too" 

Hyunjin hugged Minho out of a sudden once the boat had finally stopped.

Totally caught off guard, he didn't move a muscle. Hyunjin looked like the clingy type of friend, but not this clingy.

However, Minho was grateful.

"See you, hopefully"

"Yes, have a nice summer Hyunjin"

"You too Minho"

Sadly, the cheerful trip with Hyunjin came to an end.  
Minho had to confront his anxiety again as he watched him wave a goodbye with his big hand.

He was going to miss him.

Even if they just met.

But now, Minho had to find in between the small crowd of people, his aunt and his cousin.

Distracted by that feeling of loss, Minho suddenly felt like two women waving at him from the far end. Smiling cheerfully.

'Okay.. you can do this Minho..'

Finally, his legs trembled as he walked through the people around him to get to the two short femines at the back. Excusing going through them, he practiced how to greet both females once the moment comes.

"Minho! Is that you?"

Auntie Joo?


	2. Homey welcoming

Minho had finally seem to be reunited with his family members.

His head was divided between anxiety and confusion, both women watched him walk slowly towards them as he stood silently with an awkward smile.

"Minho! Is that you? You've grown much taller!"

Aunt Joo?

She looked completely different to the photos of the album he had seen that night. Her wavy brown haired tied in a messy bun, decorated by some flower clips and her fancy sun glasses.

Eun-Joo was the complete opposite to Jiwoo, Minho's mom. She wore colourful clothes with fancy patterns, not forgetting about the big size in the leggings she wore, as for her shoes were from whatever brand she found in the town's market. Joo's view glasses were attached with a colourful chain of different charms, dropping them over her small chest.

None of the girls were tall.

Hara was a little similar to her mom. She had short bangs just like her short bob-cut, some strains tied up in a smaller bun. Revealing a bluish hair cape underneath her black hair. 

She also wore big black glasses, but on her small round nose instead of dropping them over her shoulders with a chain.  
Hara's style was dark but summer, her black t-shirt with the words 'everybody wants to rule the world' written in bold capital white letters across his torso, matched perfectly with her black shorts. Along with some high socks and a pair of typical white, blue and black Jordans.

Something they did had in common was the warm smile as well as the scent of lavander candle on their clothes.

"Hello Aunt Eun-Joo and Hara"

"Oh please, call me auntie Joo, you don't need to be so formal with us, we aren't like your parents" Joo said with her high-pitched voice.

"Nice to see you again Minho, you look very good" 

Hara reached out to one of Minho's luggage to carry it still holding her smile.   
Minho tried to hold in his own as he saw both of the girls excited about his arrival. Never been welcomed before, this was an obnoxious feeling. They commented things about how good he looked or how tall he had grown as they carried his own suit cases, not even asking if he needed help.

"I hope you had a good flight, someone told me you came on your own" Aunt Joo commented before popping inside the car.

"That's very rude, he deserves some company don't you think? It's his first time after all!"

"Yes but you know how his parents are"

"If I was his sister, I would tag along even if it's just for the flight. It's not so hard to understand dude, how rude"

Minho heard the conversation in silent, Hara's spoke with a more manly street-tone than the usual girls in the city did. He wasn't used to hear a girl use such expressions, without noticing a soft frown appeared between his lips.   
They talked like if they knew him for their hole life. Hara clicked her seat belt after Joo did, both of the girls looked at the small mirror seat in Minho's direction.

He was still analysing were all this sudden care for him came from. Probably in a week or two they will start forgetting about his existence and treat him like a ghost.  
They didn't need to act like if they cared about him. Minho was fine with not having attention, he grew up like that.

"Minho, your seat belt sweetie"

"Right, sorry"

Hara giggled pulling her legs on her seat, a weird way to sit in a car. But who was Minho to judge?

"Minho, we brought you something. A welcome gift"

'Hara brought me a welcome gift?'   
Minho picked up the package from her gentle hands, a light weight dropped on his palms.  
What could it be? He never received presents, for Christmas his parents would give him some money and let him but whatever he wanted. It wasn't really a present.

The anxiety to know what was inside grew in him, just like a kid in his birthday.

As he opened the box with shaky hands, Minho took a deep breath. It was a small wooden music box, details scarved all over the surface of the little box. On top, a sun made out of wood too, spinned over his stick. A spiral was drawn in the center of the small star.

"I told Joo that you used to collect music boxes when we were kids. So we got you one, you like it?"

Minho could only nod with sparkly eyes. He had a special bond towards music boxes, but he thought nobody knew about it.

"Thank you very much, it's very pretty"

His parents knew nothing about his collection of music boxes yet his cousin which he didn't talk to for years remembered such a detail.

Well, this isn't such a bad start.

"I'm glad you liked it! I picked that one so the sun on the top reminds you of the sunset here in Udo once you go back to Seoul"

"Hara and I have a routine each night, we take some tea while watching the sunset through our window, it's a beautiful moment"

This was a beautiful moment too. The way both women talked to him with such ease and joy made him feel at home.

The drive was actually jolly. Hara and Joo kept asking questions about the guy Minho had mentioned to meet on his way to Udo. 

"You said it was blonde right? Joo I think it was Hwang"

"But Hwang isn't blonde, he has short brown hair so it cannot be him"

"Who knows, maybe he dyed it and let it grow. He's a city boy now it fits with the city swag"

Minho hadn't touched his earplugs in the hole trip. Even if he remained silent, listening to a cheerful chat between a family was like actual music to his ears. Also he sometimes participated in the conversation too.

Hara and Joo had a very sweet relationship, instead of looking like a mother and daughter, they looked like two friends. Hara didn't even call Joo 'mom' which for Minho was strange.  
However he felt that maybe his presence made Hara shy enough to not call Eun-Joo 'mom'. 

Minho was jealous of their happiness, he wanted that too. With his mom, with his dad.. To laugh about random topics that made no sense while singing old songs that played on the radio. He wanted to have his own secrets with them and chit-chats at night while having a cup of mint-tea.

As the paronamics of the windows continued, Minho sank in the fememenine voices that echoed in the car accompied with whatever song the old radio was playing.  
Not forgetting the relaxing scent of vanilla the fragrance held. Within a few minutes he fell asleep.

It was the first time he enjoyed the noise around him enough to even close his eyes.

Waking up with the silence of the engine, Minho looked around still trapped inside the car. No girls to be found yet.

"Where did they go?" 

His palms were sweaty, but inside the car was cold. Even if the air conditioning made the trip way easier to deal, his anxiety grew in that small place.  
Did they just leave him?

Minho knew everything was too good to be true, but he didn't want to accept it right away. He wanted this time to give a chance to both of cheerful girls that were now his family. At least one week of chance before giving up on making a bond.

"Oh Joo, he woke up" 

Minho took his hands off his comforting posture a second ago had created and looked at both girls sitting down on the car again.

"Minho you look pale, everything alright?"

His lungs left the air flew again, mixing his anxious thoughts with hopeful ones, he smiled.

"I got a bit scared, that's all"

"We're sorry Min, you were softly asleep we didn't want to wake you up"

Hara held his hand inside her palms, with a worried face, as she apologised. Her eyes were infinite, not like Minho's mother cold and hard expression towards him. Hara really felt sorry, her eyes spoke more than her own words.

"It's alright.. Where did you go?"

"Smoking, I needed to stretch my legs before the last hour of the trip"

Aunt Joo took her glasses off her face speechless, dropping them over her shoulders. Attached with the coulourful chain around her neck.

"Yup, that's why waking you up felt dumb"

"Thank you for letting me sleep"

Minho smiled towards them as Hara sat again, comfortably, this time on the driver's seat. To continue the last hour of the trip. Switching with Joo, so she could rest from the journey.

They had drove four hours just to pick him up, how sweet.

"Do you smoke Min?"

Hara had got used to in such short time together, to call him that small nickname. Which Minho adored internally.

"Not really, I used to vape but my parents found out"

"That's the worst feeling, when your parents caught you doing some nasty thing that you know is shit and shouldn't do"

"Yeah"

Minho chuckled at her cousin's way to speak. She was informal when the situation didn't ask for any formal language, not like him, he was always way too formal. There were a lot of people that told him he sounded like some old grandad talking.  
Maybe he could learn some natural speaking from her.

"By the way, are you alright with being called Min?"

"Yes, I mean I've never been called that.. But it's nice" Hara giggled, still focused on the road.

The conversation was now just between the two of them, Auntie Joo had fell asleep in the middle of one of their giggling sessions. Her black sun glasses covered her eyes as Hara pulled the small mirror to cover the sun over her face.

Maybe asking her about why didn't she call Joo mom was too early. So Minho decided to just wait longer into their vacation to open up more and ask private things.

"Are Udo residents nice with foreigners?"

Hara let go of her head to hold with both hands the car wheel, watching the road she hummed thinking about her answer.

"The town where we live is quite small, not many people know about it's existance. Udo is already barely visited so our town is like a ghost town, get what I mean?"

"Yeah, does that mean their not comfy with it?"

"It's not about comfy or if your foreigner, it's a chill town so if your nice with them it's fine"

Minho understood what she tried to explain. Tho his anxiety tried to convince him otherwise, he nodded at her answer secure of it. Trusting on what she wanted to transmit.

"I'm not much of a talker tho"

"Me neither, but you'll see how sometimes all you need is to smile" 

Hara continued to talk about how the residents in the town did a special firework festivity at the end of the summer, such as many other celebrations they did. Bo-man was it's name, the only town with beach in the hole isle.

Minho listened carefully at Hara's tour as they reached Bo-man, the mountains they crossed some with rivers flowing other with plain trees. The land was full of green, no space was left out. Trees grew in huge size as the flowers were all different kind and colours.

Everything on the isle he had for now seen, was beautiful. From the humid dust to the maritime scent in the air. None of these things had ever crossed Minho's life, being the rich boy he was, his parents never took him anywhere outside Seoul.

What a shame, there was so many world to see and discover, thousands of different flavours to try as scents to smell.

The drive was finally coming to an end.

It was sad for Minho to now just see what his feet could travel instead of all the fast things the car can show you on. However Bo-man had to be investigated too, whether it was small or not.

"Joo we are here!" 

Hara woke her supposed mother up in a screech, the poor half-asleep woman dropping her glasses at the jump, laughed at her lack of attention in the drive.

"I really end up falling asleep oh my" 

"Joo, you're getting old"

"Hey! You're going to end up sleeping with the dog!"

Minho felt the voices loose in the distance as he walked near the view of his new home, the turquoise blue ocean stood waving at the far end of the isle. 

Since when ocean's have magical colours? As the sea got deeper, the blue became darker and mysterious. 

If you did a detail search from far, you could see small people riding the waves fashionly. Holding up on the top of the water and dropping down once the wave brakes. Leaving the famous white drip all over the surface of the water.

While absorbing the salty aroma of the sea, Minho opened his eyes to collide with his aunt's large summer house.   
Surprisingly, the house was quite large unlike the others. It was a small town, as Hara had confirmed in the car, but very welcoming. 

As if it were a French town from the 90s, the houses were delicate with an entrance to their garden and decorated mailboxes. 

Exactly how Minho remembered from the movies. 

The reddish roofs, all in layers, contrasted with the wooden details and brick walls that some had. 

Like Aunt Joo's house. 

The streets were like small mountains, they meeting on the highest street. "Black ocean" it was called, with more houses next to it. 

The ground was rocky, each step formed by a set of different stones probably chosen from the same beach. That could be observed from the entrance of the house. 

Now he understood how Aunt Joo and Hara watched the sunrise from their window. Hence the house faced the infinite ocean. 

Minho still hadn't come down to see the rustic town, but he felt that everything should be photographed. 

"Minho come and let us give you a tour of the house!"

"Coming!"

Minho automatically followed Aunt Joo's voice when calling him. There was something about the island that made him feel safe, it may have been his own change from a city to a small town on the seashore, or that no one knew him except for his expressive aunt and his funny cousin. 

For a moment, he hadn't realized that the anxiety had subsided. And he just felt calm in his body. 

"Alright, welcome to.. The Joo's house!" 

Minho walked slowly into the house, taking off his shoes at the entrance still without taking his eyes off the wide, homey entrance. 

Just by opening the door, the candle fragrance pierced the heat and hit Minho hardly. Stopping at the site to enjoy just a little more lavender. 

"Sorry if the smell of candles bothers you, we love it"

"No, not at all, it's very cozy"

"See Joo? I told you he would like too. Come on Minho, let me show you your room"

Minho was surprised to see how his cousin encouraged her own mother. It seems that he was not the only one who was frightened by first impressions. 

Hara clutched one of the boy's suitcases to slowly climb the wooden steps. Followed by Minho and Aunt Joo. Both carrying his heavy luggage. 

"Thank you, it was not necessary for you to take them"

Hara shook her hand with a playful smile. 

"No way, you're on vacation! Besides, we're not going to die for carrying some suitcases once"

"Come on Minho, it's this way"

Minho didn't understand how both girls managed to make him feel so normal and accepted with few words. 

It was cozy, as Aunt Joo gently grabbed his arm to guide him through the second floor of the house to his room. Always accompanied by Hara's bad jokes. 

"Go ahead, this is your room"

Minho laced his fingers around the elongated white knob, consulting his family before opening it. Who giggled nod. 

Finally turning the knob and entering his room, Minho let his jaw drop in astonishment. 

The ceiling had a glass window that looked out on the stars at dusk. It could be covered if it bothered during the day by pressing a button on the wall, explained Aunt Joo. 

In addition to the large bed and rustic details in the furniture, Minho's room opened with its own balcony. Already decorated with Chinese lights hanging on its ceiling. 

The balcony was quite spacious, it perfectly fit a table with a couple of chairs around it. 

"I decorated the balcony before you came, you are very lucky that you find the sea. Mine hits the mountain"

Hara leaned against the bar where Minho already stood, gazing beside him at the seascape before his eyes. 

"It's lovely, thank you Hara"

"I know we haven't seen each other for a long time, but this room will be yours forever. When you want to come back it will always be here for you"

Both of them subject to a nice chat, they completely forgot about the hyperactive Aunt Joo. Who had already ran down stairs and back to their room.

"Smile guys!"

Minho turned with a soft smile to look at the Polaroid camera his aunt was holding eagerly. 

What had been a joke at first had turned into a photoshoot from the first day. Minho enjoying every minute with his family. 

Something he would never imagine saying. 

"Joo and I are going to do something to eat, you organize the room as you like best"

"Thanks to both.."

"Oh Minho, I'm so glad I can belong in your life again" Aunt Joo whimpered as she hugged the aforementioned boy. 

"Yes, I'm glad too"

Hara managed a big smile before taking her mother by the arm and closing the door. 

A few seconds later, she opened it again. 

"By the way, there is a small speaker in your closet, if you want to use it"

"Okay, thanks Hara"

Her cousin winked as she nodded, then closed the door, leaving the boy alone with his thoughts. 

It hadn't gone as bad as he thought; the town was prettier than he imagined as well as the house was quite cozy. Even more so than his drab and boring house in Seoul. 

Above all, her aunt and her cousin. They were much kinder than his parents or his family in the city. 

Maybe living in Udo made them different from others. Minho did not feel that they treated him like they were superior, but that they accepted him without problem. Despite having money or not. 

Minho sat down on his mattress, quite soft it seemed, and dropped his body to look at the sky through the beautiful roof window. 

He had never imagined sleeping staring at the stars. Nor accompanied by the characteristic aroma of the Joos. 

Without further ado, Minho lifted his torso off the bed to begin unpacking his two gigantic heavy suitcases, as Hara said, and his backpack. 

He had room for everything, he could even place photographs on little strings hanging from one end of the room to the other. Small colored clothespins falling from them. 

While positioning everything where it seemed right, Minho imagined a life in such a small town lost at sea. 

Without having to move your things, to be able to hang up and leave pictures of your summer there... 

If only Felix was there with him too ... 

But hey, it wasn't that bad either. Her cousin was a year older than him, so their ages were very similar and there would be no big problem with that. 

Even though Minho never interacted with girls, he felt that Hara was different from the others. 

* knock knock *

Bringing the black-haired boy out of his thoughts, a continuous tapping sounded from somewhere in the room. 

It wasn't the door, so what was it? 

Minho looked at the roof window to meet Hara. Who now laughed outrageously at his scared reaction. 

It turned out that Aunt Joo's house had a 3rd floor. A rooftop.

"Did I scared you?"

Minho climbed the last step to look at the views of the town. 

"Yes, quite a lot"

They both laughed as they approached the fence surrounding the roof. 

"That's the beach, the surfers ride the waves as if they were horses. It's incredible."

Hara commented as she expressed each word to Minho with her hands. 

"Do you know how to surf?"

"Me? No, not at all. I'm a swimmer but surfing is a hole other world"

Well, at least he already had someone who could help him with his water problem. 

"In Seoul the only sport we practice is Badminton or football, and there are no beaches either"

"Does that mean you can't swim?"

Ashamed to admit it, Minho lowered his head in agreement.   
A wave of anxiety rose on his back, until a hand ruffled his hair. 

"There is nothing to be ashamed of, there are many things that I don't know how to do them either"

Lifting his face again, he watched Hara undo the little bun in her hair as she spoke. 

"We have many days to teach you everything you don't know about"

"Yeah, you're right.."

"You'll see that it will be fun"

The girl held a turned off cigarette between her lips, changing her glasses for solar ones, Minho observed the clumsiness but natural in her gestures. 

"Hara! Are you coming down to the plaza today?"

Hara lowered her head as did Minho, both staring at a blonde boy accompanied by an old woman, standing in the street.

"I can't today, my cousin just arrived I'll spend the day with him! Good afternoon Mrs. Kwon!"

"It's alright! See you!"

The old woman greeted back with a smile, while the boy waved his hand in goodbye. Receiving an answer from Hara with the same gesture. Radiating a smile.

It was the first time in his hole life that someone had cancelled their own fun plans for Minho. Hara did it naturally but Minho almost felt like his legs could loose balance at some point.

Minho observed the familiarity with a smile. 

"This doesn't happen in Seoul"

He said when he saw Mrs. Kwon, as Hara had called her, and the random boy leave. 

"This is not Seoul, here you are free Minho, to eat, act, dress as you want ... You'll like it, I'm very sure" 

Hara patted the boy's back as she walked towards the staircase. 

"Come on, Joo sure has already cooked something to eat"

"Okay"

Minho followed her cousin into the kitchen, where Aunt Joo was singing animatedly to the music on the radio.   
Songs minho had no idea about, but even Hara knew as she hummed with her mother.   
He hoped at the end of the summer to know each and every one of the songs played on the radio. 

Just as both girls knew. 

Following the beat of the melodious country song that his family danced to, Minho carefully set the table. 

The cutlery was something he had never seen; the forks as well as the spoons and the hilt of the knives were made of wood. 

Minho was used to the unbearable noise of metal hitting the ceramic plate at home. But here, all the utensils in Aunt Joo's kitchen were made of wood. 

It was surely an economical and recyclable reason, but it also matched the naturalness of the house and the farmhouse decor, if it could be called that. 

Who was he kidding, Minho would never have imagined using wood the way they used it in Bo-man, but after seeing how welcoming the result was. His opinion changed completely. 

"Nice cutlery, Aunt Joo"

"Thank you honey, I'm a fan of the naturalist"

They both knew well that there was little natural about this wood.   
But why discuss something so obvious. 

The food was served. A small amount of each dish, not like at home. 

Each of the twenty dishes served had a supply for days, so Minho ate daily leftovers. 

"Minho you have to try all the dishes"

Hara spoke excitedly as she carefully scanned what to eat first of what was served. Everything looked so good. 

"It's special food from the house, maybe you've already tried something"

And he was right. Many dishes were typical food from cheap restaurants that he never went to, his mother would kill him if that was the case. 

But when the vegetable-stuffed spring roll fell into his mouth, he felt himself grin from ear to ear. 

Both girls watched his every step before beginning to eat animatedly. 

"The food is homemade so it tastes different, isn't it, Minho?"

Joo asked as she helped herself to her plate, to which Minho replied with a nod and another bite from her plate. 

"Take advantage!"

Hara exalted just before directing her chopsticks with food to her mouth. Sitting again, with a somewhat strange pose to sit on a chair, but it is seen that her position for any seat was always the same; one leg raised while the other was crossed under it. 

"Minho, I was thinking of giving you a tour of town this afternoon."

"Good idea Hara, but I need someone to pick up the mail tomorrow. I'll be busy with work."

"Tomorrow? I have to go to the aquarium"

Minho listened to the conversation in silence, before putting his chopsticks on the table. 

"I can go if you need help"

Both girls looked at the boy, who right now wanted to be swallowed up by the earth and slowly consumed. 

"Great idea! I'll show you where it is so you don't get lost"

"Thanks Minho, you are a heaven"

Was he? He just didn't want to be a burden to his family like always and help out with something. But in some way or another his aunt always made him see it differently. 

"Is nothing"

Silence continued between the three of them as the radio played the news, appreciating the food in detail. 

"Aunt Joo .."

Minho started.   
It was the first time that he had started a conversation with any of them without being needed. 

And he felt quite happy

"Tell me darling"

Will she ever run out of nicknames to call him? Minho wished not. It matched well her sweet tone with her melodious old voice.

"What's your job?"

"Oh right, we didn't mention any of that. My god."

The forty-year-old lady laughed out loud, infecting the two young people with laughter. 

"I am an architect and interior designer. But now I dedicate myself to writing a little of everything"

"You are now writing a romance novel, right Joo?"

"So is"

She nodded firmly and confidently to her answer. 

"You work a lot aunt?"

"All day long, there are times when I travel to find inspiration or to find landscapes typical of the novel ... But yes, let them not say that writers do little work!" (A / N: please)

"Sounds fun"

"Indeed Minho!"

The little family continued to talk about Aunt Joo's books and her published sagas, also how she was actually quite a famous writer. 

She even mentioned designing the same house in which they were eating at the time. 

What an interesting life, imagine living under a roof that you have built yourself. Literally. 

"And you Hara?"

"I am a maritime biologist but just started my second carreer as zoologist. Even in the summer I work in the town's aquarium"

Marine biology...   
Neither works were things Minho would have imagined. 

He expected something as a journalist, or law... Just like his parents and family in Seoul.   
But Hara and Eun-Joo were going the other way entirely, their lives had nothing to do with what he was so familiar with. 

"And you Minho? What do you study?"

"Right, don't you have a year left?"

"Yes ... I study law"

Both girls sighed looking at each other. Something they were apparently waiting for as an answer. 

"What are you really passionate about, Minho?"

"I don't know"

"Have you never thought about it?"

Even though it seemed that Hara was interrogating him, Minho was actually quite calm about her questions. 

What is he really passionate about?   
Is it the stage, with its spotlights, shouts from the audience and claps? 

What was the thing that made him want to be alive? Or that made him now alive.

"Maybe you will find it here Minho, it would be a shame to have a lawyer who doesn't even like his job"

Aunt Joo harshly admitted. Well true was the above, what would become of him in a miserable life as lawyer? 

"Earth calling Min, we have a lot to do!"

Minho laughed lightly when he saw his cousin hurriedly eat her bowl of strawberries and cream, picked from an orchard near the village, Joo mentioned. 

However she was right, there was a lot to see this afternoon and to control too. To loose time with a bowl of sweet strawberries.

On one hand, Minho felt that he was jumping with excitement to take a look at the town and the places that awaited him to investigate in it. 

But on the other, he felt that it was going to be a pretty tough afternoon to bear for him and his unstable anxiety. 

Although luckily this time he was not alone, Hara would accompany him step by step, even when he thinks he is lost she will be there to take him by the hand and guide him. 

There was enough trust in both of them even after not seeing each other for so long. But that was exactly what brought them closer, their past continuously together. 

Minho wanted to resume adventures with his little family, who in such a short time had become his favorite. 

"Well done! Get change and go for a walk, there is no time to lose. I'll wash the dishes myself, let's go!"

Aunt Joo giggled both teenage adults out of the kitchen, she knew how long it might take for them to change, and she didn't want them to waste a bit of their day doing various dishes. 

She would do it herself while humming some odd song from her collected vinyl records. 

"Min, I'll give you a race to see who changes before"

"Okay, when do we start? 

"Now!"

Minho, totally surprised, couldn't contain his smile when he saw Hara's speed in climbing three steps at a time to continue climbing two at a time. 

He didn't care about the game, the sights of his cousin falling from the rush down the stairs and yelling insults at the air was much better than victory. 

"Fuck! Twenty years in this house and I still fall! I'm mega fucking clumsy"

Minho was laughing silently at their expressions. But most of all he laughed at how Aunt Joo shouted from below that we should not kill each other climbing stairs because the blood was very difficult to remove from the carpet. 

Without further duty, each one went to their corresponding room to change for a walk together through the town. 

More than a walk, it would be a tour.   
But hey, they'd keep talking about life for a while.   
Just like the spring walks Minho used to have with his Granny back in the days.

Bo-man...  
What do you hide?


	3. Counting dead stars

The night fell at once. Minho finally let his body collision with the freshly washed fabrics of his bed.

He swore that his legs had lost control of his body's sustainability.

The hardest part of the day had finally arrived. The dark, long night.

As his eyes watched the infinite sky of blues and purples mixed among gentle brushstrokes, the stars danced to the beat of the mental sonata that Minho echoed in his mind.

Even the clouds advanced silently to the ominous rhythm of one of the little music boxes with which the teenager had given as a present.

That repetitive melody echoed in his mind, each sweet sound the metal spikes made as they clashed with the metal of the music box. 

However those things worked, they were a fantasy. 

Minho counted the stars in the sky, without any brightness. Each with its important place in the sky, hiding a probable meaning.

If he were a star... Where in the sky would he trap himself forever? 

Whoever he illuminated with his sad light, he would end up memorizing every step of his daily life. 

But he would only be able to connect with that person when the moon fell, when everything became dark and sinister.

A pity that something so bright and beautiful could happen amidst such opaque darkness.

Minho lifted his exhausted body out of bed, to change out of his already sweaty day clothes into comfortable pajamas.

What is it about pajamas that relax every muscle in your body at the slightest touch?

Still, his pajamas were something to talk about, as his blue and black striped pants didn't match the random sweatshirt he had grabbed from the closet.

Even in the middle of June, with the frustrating summer heat, Udo was different.

The cold was falling all at once with the missing stars. 

Making the temperature imbalance as he had heard so much about on the news. Or as Aunt Joo would say, the hated radio.

Eun-Joo purposely didn't have a television. She wanted to focus her life on something other than obsessing about the world around her.

Joo said that the society we find ourselves in revolves around what the TV says and the news shows. And as she told this, she deftly knitted some strange scarf.

Minho opened the doors to his balcony, stepping fearfully onto the already icy ground. His bare feet felt the cold climb his body rapidly, freezing his thoughts.

Udo was completely in the dark and yet, the exhausted boy could perfectly remember where the sea was.

Its soft sound accompanied by the mystical smell of salt was irreplaceable.

He remembered the walk on the beach a few hours ago with his cousin, according to Hara, the ocean and the sky were constant liars.

You never knew who owned that beautiful prussian blue color that the sky had and the water reflected.

There were people who were lost in theories about the reflection of the color and transparency of the water.

But for Minho, it will always remain as what Hara said, a continuing war of color thieves.

The wind ripped the black hood off his head in a gust, completely tousling his glossy mane.

So late but so disastrous. The beautiful, vivid scenery Minho had encountered in the morning just arriving had vanished in the darkness and the annoying wind.

There was nothing left.

Even his memory could not recall the streets that Hara had shown him earlier amidst the haze.

And the sea...

Minho hated to lose sight of the sea.  
He had the vivid image of the beautiful turquoise finished in navy blue etched in his mind, every time his eyelids drooped, he could observe it.

Accompanied by the sound of the waves breaking into pieces as they crashed against the ground.

Minho walked back to his new bed, leaving the doors open after his departure, he went back to bury himself under the starry ceiling of his window.

He was exhausted, his body was begging to be shut down, begging to blend into the silky sheets of the bed and fall asleep.

But too much had happened today to just sleep and not think about it.

That place, that salty but sweet room. Empty without much more than four walls and a bed, it was where he was going to stay for the rest of the summer.

Lying in the exact same position he was in at that moment. 

He would end up memorizing every single spot of light in his sky. As well as the desired silence of the house.

It was nighttime, and whoever lived in every other house in Bo-man had decided it was a good time to sleep and not make a single sound.

How curious. Imagine who is in each of the houses around his, well Aunt Joo's, house.  
Would there be some tender child snoring sweetly in his sleep buried in his bed?

But nothing could be heard. There was no music from a nearby bar, no shouting from a group of drunks who had just finished dancing and sweating.

Only the sea had conquered all sound.

And the Joo house was a bit far from the sea. Minho imagined sleeping so close to the sea that you can taste the salty fresh water.

"Thanks mom..."

He had finally found a place where sleeping wouldn't be so complicated to get. 

There were times when Minho felt like his room in Seoul would shrink and the walls would become narrow just to crush him.

But in this room it didn't happen, and he could observe it perfectly. 

It was as if the moon was shining a flashlight into his room to remind him where he was.

"Thank you Luna."

Minho said in a sleepy whisper. Even his mouth didn't know what he was saying.

He was so tired, talking was getting heavier than usual.

"Goodnight Bo-man."

Minho imagined, somewhere in the small town, a good night back. 

Perhaps the sea itself had wished him good dreams, or the gentle breeze with the bright moon and its dancing stars.

In any case, he let that good night float across the sky and fly with the wind to end up who knows where. In the room of someone who needs to hear it.

Darkness fell completely in that silent room, with the eyelashes of Minho's closed eyelids.

He could rest in peace.

It was the first time in his wretched life that Minho was awakened by the noisy sound of roosters crowing.

Who knew that such simplicity would make him feel so alive in the morning.

First night in Bo-man and it hadn't been bad. He had been a deep sleeper until he was awakened by the early morning crowing of that animal.

The difference in the mattress was quite noticeable, his back was stiff as a loaf of bread in the open air. But not everything is perfect, instead he dreamed of the starry sky and the explicit tour of the previous evening.

Minho stretched his arms tightly, flopping back down on top of the mattress.

And his sweatshirt?

Panicking, the boy rummaged through his soft sheets for the black sweatshirt he'd sworn he'd gone to sleep in. His sleep had been so deep that he didn't even remember taking it off at night.

Perhaps he had been hot at some point and, in order not to suffocate, he had torn it off.

Whatever it was, the sweatshirt was lying on the floor.

"What the fuck did I do last night?"

It was like nocturnal amnesia. Minho laughed quietly as he intertwined his fingers in the sleeve of the sweatshirt, again covering his naked torso. At last, getting out of bed.

The floor hadn't changed temperature, rarely, since he had left the balcony open and the sea gusts were quite cold.

Even though it was strong planks of wood, the cold did not rub off on that material.  
In that respect, it made sense.

Minho went out on the terrace, it was so addictive to watch the beautiful scenery drawn on the horizon. In the morning it was even more beautiful than at sunset.

The breeze gently brushed Minho's tousled, just-risen hair.  
Whoever passed by on the street at that hour would be frightened by his awakened looks.

But the infinite ocean must have known that Lee Minho was already on his feet.

So early in the day and already people were surfing the rough waves of the sea. It wasn't even hot, but the residents of Bo-Man seemed to have quite a routine when it came to the sea.

"Good morning Bo-man."

Hara had mentioned the previous afternoon that the nicest thing about Udo, was waking up next to the sea and the late neighbors.  
And it was so true.

The euphoric feeling of companionship marked Minho's steps to the bathroom, to start the day once and for all.

His teeth clean, hair brushed and body perfumed ready to change into any summer outfit from his built-in closet.

A pair of jeans with a long short-sleeved shirt, not much more was needed to combat the dry Bo-man heat.

Ready to go, Minho swallowed his pills accompanied by a sip of cool water. Quite rich and from nearby springs on the small island.

The hungry boy dragged his already shod feet to the door. Turning the knob and stepping out into the hallway, when suddenly the shocking aroma of freshly made pancakes wafted across his nostrils.

This vacation was driving Minho's sense of smell crazy.

As Aunt Joo's words sounded perfectly from upstairs, Hara shot out of the room. Colliding glances with her cousin.

"Minho! Good morning little prince!"

"Good morning Hara!"

They both came downstairs commenting on the boy's first night, who somehow saw his cousin as a sister.

"Halellujah! You sure have a hard time getting up!" 

Aunt Joo hugged her daughter and nephew tightly, when they finally reached the table. Bidding them good morning, the sweet lady asked them to sit at the already served table for breakfast.

"Wow pancakes."

"I read something about feeding young people pancakes, it said it motivated them in their day and filled it with full happiness. What better to start your first day at Bo-man than with this, right Minho?"

"Yes... Thank you very much."

The chattering trio were having a lively breakfast. Among so many comments, Joo reminded Minho to go after breakfast, leisurely, pick up the mail at the small envelope store.

Hara drew a quick map of the town on a napkin so that Minho could find his way around if he got lost. The black-haired man just nodded with his cheeks full of caramel and delicious dough.

Small whistles escaped from between the slight cracks in the windows and doors, letting thin breezes of air into the house.

The flame of one of the newly lit candles fought with one of those breezes, dancing to dodge being extinguished. Releasing the familiar scent of lavender traveling throughout the room.

How comforting.

Minho remembered reading something about the memory and the smells in a magazine while waiting for his turn at the dentist; it talked about how they were both good friends and how events in our lives are connected to those smells.

The gritty smell of the sea would remind him for the rest of his life of Udo, just as the fragrances coming from candles would remind him of his little family lost on the island.

"Minho honey, are you all right?"

His legs had stopped obeying him as soon as his journey ended at the main door. The same entrance through which he had crossed so happily yesterday was now watched with dread.

"Yes..."

Hara had taken off to the aquarium not long ago, just as he finished his plate and emptied the freshly squeezed orange juice into his stomach.

Leaving him and Aunt Joo.

In some ways the silence between the two was chilling, but what had made Minho's skin crawl was going to get the mail in town.

Eun-Joo stood at his side, lacing up a pair of dirty boots and her defined messy bun. Ready to go, she slid her hand down the young boy's back, giving small pats to relax his shoulders.

"It will be all right, take this."

Minho felt his aunt's veiny hands grasp his own, dropping the weight of several things in addition to Hara's painted napkin.

"You may go in and out of this house as often as you like. Use them, they're yours." 

That was the last thing he heard her say to him before he stood alone in the doorway of the house.

One of his slender fingers slipped between the circular key ring where the keys were hooked.  
Decorated with a small bracelet with his name on it, the key looked freshly imprinted. 

Minho sighed heavily, descending the steps to come face to face with the elongated white knob. 

The house had become a haven due to the dark garden, as dark as coal itself.  
The wind raked the boy's whitish porcelain skin, while the sun burned his arms.

Everything had become a complete hell overnight.

The beautiful little village lost between the sea and the mountains that he had fallen in love with so much yesterday, frightened him today.  
Although his heart suffocated every minute he spent in the fresh air, Minho decided to move forward.

He had to bring those envelopes of foreign letters home, whatever it took. His aunt and cousin had asked him to do so; the least he could do was to listen to them.

After all, they had offered to take care of him for three months of immense heat while still working between hours.

So, nothing was going to stop him from getting to his desired letters.

Walking between the streets, if his memory did not fail and the disastrous map on the napkin was correct, he would arrive in just a few minutes to the main street of the town.  
Where the famous "Plaza" and the Town Hall were located, colliding head-on with the sea promenade and the beach.

Minho had a good memory, that was why studying was not very complicated for him. Also that Felix motivated him to do everything he didn't want to do, that reminds him of yesterday. 

As both cousins walked on the beach, burying their feet in the soft coastal sand, the landscape painted in front of Minho's face had become even more beautiful than the one when he had just arrived.

So he sent a photo to his best friend, showing off how beautiful the sea looked. All this because Felix loved the sea, further than that, he was passionate about it.

Just like Minho.

They both lived quite far from the coast, Felix not that much, but Minho lived in the middle of the city. Water was a myth.

The boy remembered the conversation between his friend and him about surfers and killer whales, while walking.

His feet stopped as he reached the center of town. As lively and rowdy as he remembered. Everyone talking to everyone, stranger or acquaintance, in this town everyone deserved to share a conversation with anyone.

Minho's hands were tapping out the rhythm that sounded from a street band, hands tucked in his pockets so as not to be seen.

The four boys played with a smile on their faces, not caring about the profits or the time wasted in the middle of the street between music. All together they seemed to be in perfect harmony; the drums accompanied by both guitars and a piano. A beautiful harmony of sounds.

Minho smiled to advance on his way to the post office, the little envelope shop where the villagers picked up the mail.

*Ding*

The bell rattled as he stepped through the door, a young fair-skinned boy lifted his face from under the counter. Smiling sympathetically he beckoned him to approach.

"Good morning, welcome in. You don't look familiar, even thought everyone comes here to pick up their mail every day."

His attractive voice sounded above the background music.  
Minho swallowed saliva.

"It's my first time here, I came to get my aunt's mail."

Yong-Hung, or as the badge on his uniform said, clapped his hands in surprise. Opening his mouth to let out a sudden "Ah."

"You're Eun-Joo's nephew right?"

How come everyone knew of his existence but he knew nothing about anyone.

"Yeah, that's me."

"Wow you're just as elegant as Joo described, I'm sure you'll flirt a lot in Bo-man."

Minho, not knowing what to say to his compliments, laughed looking at his interesting but monochrome shoes shyly.

"Here's the mail, there's also something for Hara. This last one is for her."

Hara was right, the village was so small that almost everyone knew each other. Even the post man knew his family's history. 

"Thank you."

"Can I have your name? So I can make you a rack in case you get mail."

"Oh... Lee Minho, my name is Lee Minho."

"Nice name, we don't have any Minhos here."

The conversation was quite natural, while the boy's hands shook every time the worker made eye contact with him, his voice managed to be quite regular.

"Well then, starting today you can come and get your mail."

"Thanks huh.."

"Young-Hyun, the badge is misspelled." 

The amused boy laughed in embarrassment as he wrote down the mail pickup information.

"You'll make good friends around here, my cousin Jisung is your age. You two would get along great."

"Ah..sounds good."

"My band and I are going to demo some songs to Jisung and his friends on Friday, why don't you join us?"

Minho wanted to scream sware words at the God's in the sky while kicking the occasional rock. Earth drag him down. He wanted so badly to tell him he wasn't going to go, to afterwards go home and lock himself in his still undecorated room. 

But he imagined Aunt Joo's disappointed face when hearing him say something stupid like that. Or Hara's face when seeing him running away from people like a coward instead of socializing like her.

He had no choice but to swallow his tears and tremors and accept the invitation.

"Thanks for the invitation, that would be great."

"Perfect then, this is the street..." 

He mumbled as he wrote on a lost piece of paper his street. This town had a thing with writing information on dirty papers; napkins, tissues and now a used posit?

Bo-man stuff that Minho must get used to. 

"It's easy to get there, Hara surely knows where it is. We're good friends."

That explained a lot. Hara had a lot of friends apparently, first the blonde boy and now the post guy.

"I'll mention it to her, thanks for the mail Young-Hyun."

"You're welcome! Take care Minho!"

At last Minho came out of the store, fresh air splashed on his stressed face.  
It hadn't gone so bad, he had the mail and had been invited to a supposed band meeting on Friday. Today was Saturday, so there was still a long way to go before he started to stress himself about it.

Most importantly, the mail was safe and sound.

"What will Hara's letter be about?" 

His legs plodded along the edge of the sidewalk, to get home.  
Minho, meanwhile, was reading the writing on the envelope for her biologist cousin.

"No shit," he said to himself above a whisper.

The letter was from a university in Seoul, but that was not the only surprising thing about that paper envelope. It was the same university that Minho attended.

'Seoul University of Advanced Studies'. 

"Has she entered tuition at USSS?"

If by any chance that were true, Hara and Minho would be studying together at the same university in Seoul.  
What a small world.

Surely Minho was much more excited to find out what that white envelope hid than the recipient herself.  
But Hara was working at this hour and would not be back until late. He would have to wait all day bored and puzzling over what the letter said until her cousin got home.

Walking along the wooden plank path on the beach, the sun reflected between the high tidal waves.  
Riding the crest of one of the big waves was a surfer Minho swore he would never forget.

His gleaming board perfectly supported the weight of his slender torso. The dark colors of his surf suit matched perfectly with his wet blond hair, tousled by the water itself.

What made Minho stop in his tracks, however, was his euphoric smile.  
He was quite far from the seashore, followed by a group of boys also surfers, but it was only his face that had stuck in the black-haired boy's mind.

The wave sucked the young boy in, losing sight of his sculpted body, even though it was covered by the suit, it was so tight that it acted like a second skin.

Minho wished from the bottom of his heart that he could see him one more time. But he had to go home, surely Aunt Joo was waiting for him at the post office.  
He shouldn't be long for gawking at a handsome surfer.

Still on his way home, Minho called his best friend to tell him everything that had just happened in a moment.  
Automatically, Felix answered the video call listening to every word his buddy said.

Without leaving out a single detail, Felix laughed out loud.

"So he gave me a posit with his address to go to some weird band thing, I'm sick of meeting nice people."

"Bro, good thing for you! At least they're cool people."

"That's the fucking problem Felix, I'm too embarrassed to say no because I don't want to offend them."

"Well but maybe going to one of those events once in a while will be good for you.... Who knows what it might bring you"

"You talk like they're going to give me money for going, if they aren't going to give me anything there's no point in going to a party or whatever it is I've been invited to."

Minho held back his smile as he heard his best friend choke back laughter at his bad attitude.  
He loved talking to Felix, he swore when he did he was back to normal and breathing like he should.

The conversation about the strange party continued as the road wound down, he would soon arrive home and planned to lay down on his bed to continue talking to Felix.

"Hey Aunt Joo, I'm home."

"Minho! You're home already? How fast!"

He didn't want to be blinded by his thoughts as his friend was still on the phone, but it was the first time someone had greeted him when he got home.

The first time in 19 years of life.  
And it's his aunt, it's not even his parents.

"Yes, this is the mail."

"Thank you so much sweetheart."

Aunt Joo focused her glasses extinguishing the cigarette in the little ash saucer, her fingers gliding over the envelopes. Just as she read one of the names, Minho interrupted her concentration.

"Aunt Joo, this is my best friend Felix."

"Good morning Mrs. Joo!"

"Oh lovely! Hi Felix honey, everything alright over there?"

Joo intoned each letter in a different but amusing way. Minho, however, watched the harmonious conversation between his aunt and his best friend.  
Both were talking with a smirk in between chuckles and rambunctious language. 

"Nice to meet you Aunt Joo!"

"Likewise Felix! Someday you should stop by to see us!"

Minho's dark orbs suddenly lit up, breaking into a smile. Joo, knowing the happiness it would bring his little nephew, winked at him.

Both friends were beginning to imagine plans of all sorts on the island as they said goodbye to their kind aunt and locked themselves in the room.

"Well well, I'll talk to my mother about it.... But you didn't have something else to tell me?"

The low but cracked voice of the call echoed through the walls of the empty room. 

"I've seen a surfer from afar."

"And you fell in love."

"What? No! Just that he was cool and stuff."

"So, you fell in love"

"No way Felix! I've never fallen in love, how can I fall in love with a guy out of nowhere whose name I don't even know?"

"Love at first sight Minho"

"Nonsense"

Minho in love with a surfer he didn't even know his name? What a stupid thing to say.

He had never fallen in love with anyone. He wasn't a big fan of love and didn't know how to handle it either.  
Minho was always locked up in his room and in himself, he didn't have time and didn't want to go out to party to get drunk and flirt. Or have a partner... He doesn't even know how to show affection to the people he loves, to his friends and family yet. 

How was he going to fall in love?

Falling in love at first sight?

Fortunately Felix did not continue to rejoice in the subject, as soon as Minho showed signs of feeling embarrassed, he switched to talking about something else. Good thing he was talking with him.

"So my mother hasn't told me where we're going yet, but it's an island."

"That sucks, I hope you're coming."

"That would be amazing"

"We'd have a fucking great summer. Doing thousand thing"

"Well yeah, sleepovers and shit"

"Yeah bro, too bad"

Both boys fell silent just before they were interrupted by several shouts through the line.

"I think that's your mom about to kill you."

"Holy shit the suitcases, I fucking forgot about them."

"Death to Felix"

"I'm a dead man"

The laughter continued for a couple more minutes until the call ended. Now the surf was the only sound filling the boy's room again.

Just like last night.

He would never get tired of the melody of the salty sea. Its high waves curling with salt until they broke on some rock....

The surfer sailed his thoughts again. The brown roots of his hair mixed with the faded rune of his hair, strands lightly placed around his face perfectly. Decorating his tanned summer skin.

Colorful green and pink pants were a total mismatch with the dark shades of his body-tight top. Every curve of hid hips was softly drawn by the opaque swimsuit. Small back emphasizing the pallets of his arms due to the hard work

Without realizing it, he had closed his eyes again to absorb himself in that image of the perfect surfer boy with whom he wished to cross glances.  
The stars now envied that tanned blonde that the teenager thought so much about.

What if he went down this afternoon to look for him? To ask for his number?

He would look like a psychopath instead of a fan. But honestly, he couldn't tell which was worse, chasing him for his number or watching him from afar surfing but never talking to him.

If he were that guy, he would end up fleeing the island to get away from the psychopath.

So he wouldn't go looking for him, no way. Or rather, if the island was so small, he would go to meet him at some point for sure. He just had to wait.

Like Hara's letter, wait.

Everything took time and with Udo, time was slow.  
Not caring what any of the things would take, he was on vacation and he wasn't going to stress himself out by being impatient.

"Minho?"

Eun-Joo knocked on the door softly, just before opening it. Finding an already sleeping Minho.

So much thinking about that surfer with his eyes closed, so he could picture him, had ended up taking its toll.

"Oh, he's asleep."

Who knew thinking could be so tiring.

Joo picked up his phone, which was in danger of falling off, and set it gently on the bedside table. She left the terrace doors open so the sea breeze would flood the room and her nephew wouldn't wake up from the heat.

"Poor little boy.. It must be hard."

She said in murmurs to the sleeping boy, as she placed some things on Minho's wall. When he woke up he would be in for a surprise.

Eun-Joo closed the bedroom door as subtly as possible so as not to wake him up. And headed to the kitchen to start preparing everything she needed for the meal.

On the other side of the door, Minho opened his eyes slightly to look at the empty thief blue sky through his window.

Had he been so shocked by that radiant surfer that he was now falling asleep thinking about him?

'Love at first sight Minho'

"Bullshit." 

Even half asleep he was capable of saying something silly. It was still hours before lunch, so sleeping on wouldn't be a bad idea.

When he closed his eyes the image of the sufferer was the first thing that decided to appear in his mind. He decided not to pay much attention to him, if that boy was going to help him sleep, go ahead, be present in his dreams.

What difference does it make.

It's not like it's any sign of anything. 

He just seemed like the most perfect guy ever, that's all. Nothing else out of this world.

Minho smiled dumbly at the image of the cool water splashing all over his body as he watched the surfer. The sensation of coolness climbing all over his body for just a few accidental fine drops.

The sea was her new passion.

What a coincidence that the boy who helped him sleep from now on was a surfer.

Everything revolved around the sea and Minho did not mind investigating the thousands of secrets hidden in that huge pool called ocean.

Between waves and waves, the boy fell asleep again in a short time.

Sweet salty dreams little boy.


	4. Meeting an angel?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, sorry for the wait but I'm back.  
> My therapist has somehow motivated me to write again and this story jumped to my mind.
> 
> So I'll be more frequent, besides I have 0 life.
> 
> Thanks for reading this btw.

The furious swell was appreciated from the room where a teenager slept deeply, navigating in a surfing dream.  
They waves broke hardly on the beach's big rocks betweem the water and the small port near the village. 

It was lunch time in Bo-Man, some lost house in town was cooking a warm soup. Its aroma fed the entire streets, filled with people who had just arrived home to eat.

"Minho, wake up sleepyhead. The food is done and we need to take some to Hara."

With a jolt, to the creaking sound of the door opening, Minho awoke from his strange dream with a start. 

Blinking several times, he had to analize the room he had fallen asleep in a few hours ago to bring himself back to reality. 

He had dreamt again some surreal dream... He remembered feeling his skin freeze as he stepped into the water, likewise he felt the warm sand bury his feet.

Sadly it had all been a passionate unreal dream.  
Yet there was something that had completely thrown him off, just before he opened his eyes with the awakening of his Aunt Joo, Minho remembered holding someone's hand to help him out of the water.

A fuzzy memory of the small but strong hand saving him from drowning remains in his memory. Empty with nothing but frustration at remembering what his lost blurry face looked like.

Now that he was finally fully awake, Minho left his bed for the bathroom and then ended up in the kitchen.  
A simple salad of fresh vegetables sat on the table. As always surrounded by wooden cutlery, in this case for two people.

"You sleep pretty a lot for a vacation, Minho."

Joo commented with a chuckle, just after the same teenager she was talking to offered to help set what was left of the table.  
Between the two of them, the small banquet was quickly filled.

"I'm sorry I didn't help you make the meal, I accidentally fell asleep."

His aunt gave him a lettuce-cheeked filled smile, swallowing, she laughed lightly as she left light pats on Minho's scarred back.

"Honey don't worry about it, your mother told me you were getting little sleep so it's a relief to see you get a lot more sleep here."

"My mother told you about me before I came?"

Joo chewed silently, breaking the smile she normally held between her lips. There was something in her expression that saddened Minho, one could come to imagine the conversation the two women had about him.

Probably negative, commenting only on his shortcomings and how fearful he is. Something about his social anxiety for sure was commented as well...

But Joo smiled without looking at him, looking lost in thought.

"Your mother called me a while ago, worried about you and your problem. That's when it occurred to me to have you come here for a few months, maybe it would help you."

Minho swallowed saliva.  
His mother worried about him? Impossible, all that woman cared about was how much money they were making from the bank renovations and how much she was losing by feeding Minho.  
She was so stingy and always minding her own business, nothing else mattered in her world but money and her jewelry.

"Aunt Joo, we both know my mother would never do that."

Eun-Joo exchanged glances with the jet-haired young man, with a forced smile, she looked back down at her plate of salad.

"It's better that you see your mother that way, instead of seeing her the way I saw her. Keep a little wholesome image of her in your head"

He didn't know what the past had put between his aunt and his mother, but one thing he was sure of. Whatever had happened a few years ago had completely destroyed their relationship and even his mother's personality.

Over time she had become dry, selfish and uptight. Just like the rich women in the movies.

Minho knew his mother well because even if she was unbearable, at least she talked to him. Unlike his father who was non-existent in the family, he spent hours and hours working and travelling from one country to another.

Another specimen that would fit perfectly into the profile of the moody rich guy in a movie.

The broken sound of the radio made the silence between them easier to bear. Minho munched on the vegetables savoring the strong natural flavor they had, so different from the ones you could buy in the supermarket. 

Even the juicy zucchini he hated so much, melted in his mouth begging for even more. He would never have imagined that a salad could become such an addictive dish. 

Minho would certainly miss it. Like the spring rolls he had eaten yesterday upon arrival, or the sweet berry tea he had had in the evening accompanied by Hara and his aunt as they watched the sunset.

Just like his sense of smell, his sense of taste was in an uproar on this island (A/N: literally...).

"Aunt Joo, you said we had to bring Hara some food."

"Yes, she usually falls asleep in the mornings and forgets to cook herself something to eat for work. Yesterday with the little tour she gave you she was exhausted and has slept very late, so she forgot her food again."

"Okay...Could we bring her letter too?"

"Good idea Minho! Sure thing, when we're done go get it in her room."

Nobody liked working on Saturdays but Hara did it anyway. Because she was cool and responsible like that.  
On her way down the beach the previous afternoon, his cousin explained to him that she works shifts. Depending on which shift she got to work, the hours varied as did her position in the aquarium.

How interesting.

What is life like inside a place full of huge tanks with lots of fish of different species and sizes?

Surely every worker has to learn all the names of every creature that lives under that enclosed roof, including how to care for them and what they eat.  
With how little Minho knew about the life of marine biologists, it already seemed complicated. 

Somehow curiosity sailed through his mind more than usual. It wasn't like wanting to know the color of a food never seen before, it was more like the kind of interest that keeps you up at night and makes you wish the days would go by faster to learn more.

That reminded him of the fuzzy surfer in the dream. So did the one in real life, both of which made him want to move forward in time to find out what's going to happen.

Maybe Aunt Joo knows something.  
True, he had completely forgotten to tell Eun-Joo about the party or rather band hangout that Young-Hyung had invited him to.

"Aunt Joo..."

"Tell me sweetie," she replied automatically turning down the volume of the radio.

"The letter carrier, Young-Hyung, has invited me to some kind of concert at his house."

As Minho glared at his aunt, she smiled with cheeks full of food. Nodding firmly until she completely chewed her salad and could speak.

"Young-Hyung! I didn't remember that he was the one in charge of the letters now? It used to be done by his father." 

She continued telling with a chuckle.

"He seems to know us a lot."

"Of course he knows us, he's a good friend of Hara's and his parents are good friends of mine. I used to babysit him the summers they both worked, and Hara would play with him."

They were much closer than Minho expected.  
He thought it was a small town thing and all that stuff Hara told him about. But in this case they really had a history together, hence their good friendship.

"I didn't know that..."

Minho wanted to know more about them, about their history on the island. The people they were friends with or very close to and why, the adventures they had the old summers with the beach, their routines and even their best memories.

He had a long summer ahead of him to worry about not knowing everything already, he would eventually learn about their stories and become a part of them too. Just as he would create his own memories together with his family and maybe with future friends.

"Yes, yes, there are many things to tell you about... But that doesn't matter right now, what did you say about gangs?"

"Yes, I said that Young-Hyung has invited me to like a concert at his house."

"Ah dang it! So that's what you meant, I thought he had offered you to be part of the battle of the bands. Well in that case, talk about it with Hara, she can help you out better than I can. It's youth stuff."

"So, can I go?"

Joo blinked several times putting aside her chopsticks. The question had been so sudden that it had thrown her completely off balance.

"What?"

She asked hesitantly, her tone soft and thin as a knitting thread.

"Can I go to his house?"

"Oh Minho.." 

With a smile, her aunt ran a hand tousling his dark mane. 

"Of course you can! See what a good boy you are!"

"Thanks aunt Joo.."

"No need to thank me sweetheart, now finish that so we can go to the aquarium before your cousin dies of hunger"

That said, Minho lazily finished his endless plate of salad with yogurt sauce, to rise firmly from the table.  
But not before helping his aunt clean up the dishes they had both used.

Afterwards, he went back upstairs to his room. Even though he had never stopped a moment to think about it, but whoever was going to come to the Joo's house to sleep wouldn't be able to go into that room because it belonged to someone now.  
To Minho, it was his place; his home, his "cave".... Where he spent time vaguely alone.

Surely if a person came in they would even say that the smell coming from the room was surely his. Mixed with the famous lavender ambiance, his room smelled like his expensive city perfume and somewhat shocking male deodorant.

In addition to the natural scent that Minho gives off. That fragrance that when you embrace him, you could sink into it.

But back to the initial point, that room was his. And Minho loved it with pride.

As he finished loosely combing his dark mane, Joo shouted from downstairs if he was ready yet. It had been twenty minutes since Minho had gone upstairs to primp himself to look a little more presentable.   
And his aunt had already gotten ready! What an extreme speed.

It's not like he was slow to get dressed before going out, a solid twenty minutes would do it. But Joo? Eun-Joo was detailed even in the way her hair was tied up. How did she take so little time?

Another great mystery of the island.

They should change the name from "Udo Island" to "Mystic Island" where even the baker hides the biggest secrets on how to bake bread.

"Minho, honey, I'm opening the car!"

"I'll be right down!"

Before descending the stairs, Minho headed for his cousin's beckoning door.

"If you're reading this....  
Guess what  
I'm not inside probs.  
So yeah, ask Joo 'bout anthin'  
Good'ay fella."

~Hara

Hara was always such a mood for whoever heard her talk or write...

But hey, he couldn't get distracted by every little thing he could find in his cousin's room.  
Like how the doorknob was different from his, or that when he subtly opened the door; he fell in love with the decorations hanging on the walls of the room. 

"Are those pictures?"

Minho answered his own question as he cautiously approached what appeared to be a pile of hanging photos, replete with stickers. Filling the thin brown string.

And it was true, these were little polaroids of moments in her life. With their corresponding date and colorful annotation below, the boy noticed a detail.

The photo taken by his aunt yesterday hang in the middle of all the frozen moments, with the date of the day and a sweet but short phrase he would vow never to forget.

"Welcome..home..." he read aloud with pauses " at last.. you're back..."

*cling* echoed through the walls. One sound after another, like Seoul's drizzle on the day of his departure. The now damp floor received the boy's fall gently, as he sobbed quietly, his fingers holding the fragile photograph.

Why are they so good to him? Uncounted years had passed without them speaking, they had not even kept in touch and Minho felt that they both loved him much more than his own parents.

Was it possible to feel so happy about such a sentence? He no longer understood what was happening to him, if he was crying out of pain or if he was crying out of something he had never felt before.

Whatever it was, it was light. Those tears that were falling awkwardly down his cheeks aimlessly, somehow made him feel good with himself.

And without realizing it, he sketched a broken smile....

"I'm back..."

He muttered to himself, reading for the last time what was now his favorite sentence, accompanied by the photograph taken by Aunt Joo of both cousins on the balcony.

"Minho!"

Right, the letter. So many emotions all at once that he had completely forgotten what he came to at first, the unfamiliar envelope of incomparable value.

"Coming!" 

He hurriedly replied, dropping the polaroid back into its space, wiping his humid cheeks with his palms and grabbing the letter to leave Hara's room.

"Are you okay sweetie? Took you long enough."

"Sorry Aunt Joo, I got caught up with some things..."

"The clueless mind-

"I know, of a teenager it's chaos."

Minho interrupted, just before leaving the house. Joo closed the car door after sitting on the seatback, silently indicated the boy to sit beside her.

The front seat where Hara normally sat was sunken, but decorated with a black floral mantle. Minho remembered his cousin's sitting positions.

"Correction."

"Excuse me?"

Joo laughed dryly before placing her glasses on her nose.

"Correction, the clueless mind of a teenager brings undiscovered wonders."

Minho clashed glances with his poetic aunt, to buckle up and smile. She spoke with a bright face, occasionally pointing her index finger in the air.

"You never know what a writer is going to say, always wait for them to say it and then, say if you agree. Only if that person has asked for your opinion and if it's not offensive what you're going to say."

"Even if what they've said doesn't make sense?"

The car started to begin its drive, with the help of the black-haired man, Eun-Joo pulled her yellow Mini out of its space on the street.

"All opinions are valid Minho, no matter their credibility or reasoning. Everyone is free to believe in whatever they want, and no one has the right to destroy that."

"That's not what they teach in law school..."

"Politics is a game of heartless beings, who only wish to jabber contradictory things in exchange for large amounts of money."

He explained with denied gestures with his hands.

"The world is very selfish Minho, that's why you must not be like them."

They had just started their vacation and Minho had already learned so many new things about the value of being a person.  
All the things his parents didn't make the effort to teach him or even talk to him about.

He was thankful he ended up in the hands of the Joo's, because if such a man like him were to become an adult with the morals taught to him at home.... He would be a selfish and cruel monster. Like the rest of the world.

One thing was clear to me; I was going to write down in a blog of notes every single thing I learned on this vacation that is important to live happily and well.  
Starting with what Joo had just said, and Hara's sentence.

"Well then! To the aquarium!"

Living with Joo was like watching a child put into an adult's body. Sometimes of course, other times Minho would swear there was no wiser person than her. He hoped that in the near future, he could be just as wise and jovial.

Eun-Joo switched on the radio after a few minutes in silence. Turning it up a few tenths so that she could hear more accurately the rhythm of the music that was being transmitted through the car's ancient speakers.

"Hara really, really likes this song!"

Minho looked away from the window so that he could pay attention to his aunt's words. When it came time to learn about his cousin, he was all ears.

"What's its name?"

"Everyone wants to rule the world, by The touch! I used to play it from my vinyl when Hara was just a little girl. She grew up with this song, you know? It's like traveling back in time and watching her shrink again."

Growing up along with a song in particular....

Minho went back to staring at the blurry but lush green landscape, sinking into his random thoughts....

He imagined a little Hara dancing to the beat of the eighties song that was playing nonstop. Surely if she were here, she would sing and dance as much as she could without a tomorrow.

He missed her...

Even though they were on their way to see her, Minho felt sad to remember that his cousin had schedules to keep from time to time and that was going to be difficult for him to see her that much. He had grown fond of her in just two days (not even completely), he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible.

"Minho, I thinking about something."

Joo turned down the volume with the radio's thumbwheel without taking her eyes off the road.

"What is it?"

"Maybe I could introduce you to the Han family? Their son is very sweet and smart, though he's truly shy. But you two would get along well for sure."

"Han? You know everyone auntie Joo."

"Of course not honey" she started with a chuckle to continue a little more serious "But the Han's are very nice people, they used to live in Jeju but now they live here in Bo-Man, you know the life of the rich"

"Are they the ones from the orchard?"

"Oh god, please no! No, no!"

Minho had no idea what he had just said to make his aunt so defensive in a moment. 

"The ones in the orchard are the Seo family. Best not to confuse them, their relationship is somewhat obscure."

"And their son? The Seo one"

"He's another world, his parents aren't very friendly but the kid is cute! He works in the orchard as well as being a surfer and I tell you, that kid's got a lot of potential"

Joo loved to make a fuss about the wealthy families who lived in Udo. She knew almost everything about them and got along quite well with each and every one of them.

She alone would comment on the rest of the honorifics used for each family; like the Hwangs, the Kims, the Lee.... Just like her own family name.

Although most of them did not live on the island, but they came in the summer to spend it here and go back again to their city. Or at least that's what their children did.  
They were still young and had to study, in Udo there were no universities for that.

Minho would do the same maybe, hopefully Jeju has several universities due to its large population growth during these years.  
It would be a good way to run away from home and get rid of their amraging parents. What was he thinking? He couldn't just leave home. Not without even having made a single friend. It was suicide. 

"Here we are!"

Amidst confused thoughts and abundant chatter, they arrived at the large and famous aquarium in the next town over.  
A simple little seaside town similar to Bo-Man but much simpler.

The aquarium was just as they arrived, with a huge queue to pay at the ticket booth.   
So many people were coming just to see this little aquarium?

"Wow, the queue is really long.... Come with me Minho, I know a shortcut!"

Aunt Joo grabbed the boy's wrist awkwardly, guiding him through the silent crowd of people waiting patiently for their turn to get in.

But his bad luck played a trick on him again, for in one of his aunt's uncontrollable jerks, he collided with a blond hair.

Falling to the ground, or rather, on top of a boy.

"I'm... so sorry, I wasn't looking.." he apologized between deep breaths as he got up.

"It's alright... are you okay?"

Minho opened his eyes to relive his dream again.... It was him.  
The blond surfer with beautiful physical proportions that he had been dreaming about since his little crash.

"Uh..yeah, yeah thanks. Did I hurt you?" 

His features were even softer and more beautiful up close. His tinted bangs fell perfectly over his forehead as the wind gently caressed each strand of his mane.

"Not much, I'm fine."

His voice... it was as he imagined it to be, just as deep as the sea he surfed so nimbly. Smooth and melodious like the waves he danced on, perfect for hours of listening.  
Not too low, not too high-pitched, just perfect.

"I'm sorry, here, let me help you up at least." 

He didn't know where so much temper had come from all at once, but boldly, Minho held out his hand as he stood up. Eagerly hoping not to be rejected by such an angel.

"Thank you.." 

Both hands finally met. The surfer's hand was smaller than Minho's, just as their skin tones were somewhat distinctive. 

The boys swore they felt an electric rush surging through their veins as they clapped palms together.  
Minho had fallen in love with the soft touch of his skin, he didn't want to let him go anywhere.... 

His heartbeat had increased by seconds... What was happening to him? The pills were not working? He better calm down a bit, so as not to sound strange in front of him.

"It's nothing."

"Thanks again but I have to go, my friends already went in and they hate it when I keep them waiting..."

His gestures were awkward, while his words were harsh. He wasn't the same height as Minho either, maybe a foot or two shorter than him. The perfect height to hug him.. hug him?

"Sure, sorry for the bump"

"It's alright, it wasn't so bad after all"

"Is there anything worser than this?"

"Yeah much worser, luckily I bumped into was you and not some random paedophile"

"Oh god please no" they said in between timid giggles.

It was so strange the atmosphere that held between the two young men. They both had to leave but neither would leave their post in front of the other. And even if they didn't speak, their eyes told everything. 

"Sorry, uh.. I must get going now... Pleasure"

"Ah sure, yeah, same here"

"See you soon, pretty boy"

Minho froze at his small smirk.

"See you soon, blondie" He spat back, the same flirty way.

And they parted ways with a playful smile.  
Until they would meet again. Or so Minho wished, to cross paths again with that angel.

Who's name was still unknown...

Fuck.

He could have at least asked him, he hadn't made much effort to show any interest. Minho just had him in front of him and now they might not cross paths again.

'You're an idiot'

What would he say to him anyway... 'Hi I saw you surfing the other day and felt my heart freeze, may I know what your name is so I can tattoo it across my chest?' If he went so far as to say that, he'd sound like a fucking psycho.

And the least he wants to do is pull him away from him.

But hold back, did he flirt at him or was it part of his remarkable imagination? Minho swore the blond boy had called him 'pretty boy' with a playful tone, along his bright smirk. 

No fucking way.

Why did he felt like his heart just had grown a pair of huge wings and fled somewhere in the sky? He's just a surfer, a boy who he didn't even know about his existance a few days ago.   
And now he finds himself screeching inside like some cat who's tail got stuck between the window and the locker.

Jumping out of his intrusive thoughts, where was his aunt?

As he questioned, a cold arm held his wrist firmly.

"Minho! Where have you gone, honey? I was looking for you."

"Uh... I was..." 

The image of the surfer suddenly jumped into his head, trapped inside his arms with fluttering hair and confused expression... 

"Meeting an angel?"

"Well all right then, but we have to run inside. Meet your angel later okay?" 

He wished, to come out again and find him waiting up with a glittering smile. But right now, his aunt not only thought of him as the description of anxious but he now talks with angels.

Well done Minho, well done.

That surely isn't something someone who just escaped from a madhouse would totally say.

At all.

Oh well, he was already seen crazy so does it matter if that craziness multiplied?

"If I remember correctly, the back entrance was this way..."

Joo had been tugging at his wrist for a long never-lasting ten minutes, apparently not finding the shortcut she was so sure of earlier

At this rate, Hara will have starved to death. Or she'll have decided to attack a penguin to eat it with pan-seared barbecue sauce.

"Bingo, I told you it was this way. My memory doesn't fail."

"Yeah..."

You know what? He sure wasn't sane, but his aunt was just another specimen in the circus.  
They had only been going around the same circle for about twenty minutes, as if they wanted to summon some being in the circle between black candles.

'My memory doesn't fail' 

Of course not Aunt Joo.

"Hello Lucas! How's everything been doing, love?"

"Ahh Joo! Long time no see, we missed you around here. Woah, who's this model?"

This Lucas guy, probably four meters tall, scanned from head to toes the outfit Minho was wearing.

"This is my other nephew."

"Quite a collection of cuties you have Joo."

They both laughed at the meaningless comversation they faintly held.   
Lucas was wearing the uniform of the shipping company, probably like what all the workers wore.

But his proportion made the uniform look somewhat sexual rather than formal.  
Accompanied by his ears decorated with piercings and his modern dark haircut that highlighted his large slanted eyes.

"Hara has left her food at home again, can you believe how forgettable she can be, Lucas?"

"She never changes" his smile was striking, with perfect bleached teeth. Just as memorable as Hyunjin's.

"Never, it's just like when you were little."

"Yeah, come this way Joo. Hara is probably at her usual place"

"Thank you Lucas, what a good man you are."

If being a man was holding the door for women while they wanted to cross, then Minho was born a man.   
Any other aspect that could define man, Minho didn't know if he had them.

"Hopefully Hara will feel the same way soon"

"We'll see! Bye Lucas, take care!"

"Thanks Joo! And company!"

Hara better not date that guy. There was something about him that didn't quite convince Minho, his first intention had been somewhat...  
Weird.

Not like the blond boy they had met the afternoon on the rooftop, accompanied by his grandmother.  
If Hara had to choose, please let it be that nice boy.

Lucas was not her style, and Minho was very sure.

"What's on your mind?"

"Will Hara go out with that Lucas guy?"

"I don't think so, she's been liking Soonyoung since they were kids and her relationship with Lucas is kind of a love-hate one. But that isn't important now, you're acting like a big brother Minho" 

Joo gave small taps on the boy's back, a smirk remarking how happy she was to see her nephew behaving so sweetly towards her cousin.

"Me? No, it's just that Lucas hasn't quite grown on me"

"Something an older brother would say"

"I guess.."

As Joo walked around guiding him through the aquarium, Minho was lost in thought about the boy he had crossed paths with earlier.

Instead of digging into the feeling of having a sister and a really funny mom, he thought of him again.

He wanted to talk to him once more, and lose himself in his glassy dark orbs; with nothing else to do but hear his soft, deep voice speak to him lovingly.

That boy was upsetting him more than he already was. It was impossible to get those thoughts out of his head, no matter how much he wanted to, they were going around and around in an infinite loop. Traping him alive, just like the anxiety did.

He had to stop thinking about him.

"There she is! Haris, love!"

The reclaimed girl turned her face gently toward the direction of the scream. As always, her trademark semi-bun with an elastic band was showing off her friendly expression.

She waved from afar as she released what looked like a penguin back into the water. The blue dungarees were extremely large, covering much of her boots. Luckily Hara had found a way to wear it comfortably, tied at her small waist with the sleeves.  
Leaving the black tank top to emphasize her shapely but slender arms.

Minho imagined how oppressive it must be to work in the sun in the middle of summer, when every ray of light pierces your skin like pins themselves.

"Oh, Minho, you've come too! This shit is so excitin'!"

"They forced me"

Hara laughed with sparkles in her eyes, gently nudging her cousin.

"Here you go, you've left your food again." Joo passed

"Holy shit, I completely forgot about't. It's just that I've been super clueless lately"

"That's what we're here for, right Minho?"

"Yeah right"

"Oh Joo, Mr.Han wanned' to see you. He said somethin' about the aquarium's garden replacement and other stuff I don't remember, but he's waiting at his office"

"Shit okay, Minho you stay with Hara. I'll be back"

With nothing more to add, the aunt of both youngsters took off at a brisk pace in time for her unexpected professional visit.  
Leaving aside her little companions, who looked at each other calmly.

"Hey Minho, do you want me to give you a mini-tour?"

Hara began to move towards the stall where she was in the beginning, in front of a very large ice water tank with a single penguin.

Minho was silently following his cousin, who knew the place much better than he did.

"Wouldn't that distract you from your work?"

"Bah don't worry, besides these are compulsory internships I have to do 'cus of my marine biology career. For what I get paid very little, it's more of a job to get experience."

"But..."

"C'mon c'mon, I know you wanna see more stuff."

Who was he going to lie to, the little distance between him and his cousin made it even more complicated to keep a straight face. 

But it was true, the curiosity to know the workings of an aquarium and more specifically its "residents" drove him crazy. So much so that he had completely forgotten about the blond surfer from earlier.

"Well... if they let you then It's fine by me"

"I knew you liked the idea! Well here we go, mini-maritime tour for Minho. Listen carefully 'cus I'm gonna show you how it works behind the scenes"

"Okay."

Hara set aside the light blue tupper that her mother had handed her on the side, filled with the salad that Minho had eaten a few minutes ago.

Instead, the hubbub of the crowd in the aisles startled the boy. His hands quickly sought shelter inside his pockets as his gaze was lost observing the collection of huge tanks lining the hall.

"Ignore the people, don't worry. Right now it's just you, me and the cuties animals in these fish tanks." 

His back curled as he felt the weight of Hara's hand drop, leaving small pats. With her free hand, the heated girl handed him some blue rubber gloves, perfectly adjustable but they would see if they were his size.

"Here, put these on just in case and let's go take care of little animals while Joo does her business. That way we'll both get distracted."

"Thank you."

"Don't even thank me back Minho. Ah'm going to introduce you to my favorite friend!"

That's how; between tugs on his arm to get to Hara's supposed friend's tank, and laughter at learning new things, Minho spent yet another afternoon at Bo-Man.

This time he had a lot to think about, but he wouldn't just ruin such a moment with his cousin. He would stop and think about his intrusive thoughts as the moon set and is left alone in his room. 

He had missed her and now he wouldn't go wasting his chance to feel good over some doubts. 

"Let's go to this one now! Come, come!" He was being led effusively by his supposedly older cousin through the animal tanks.

'Thanks for everything Hara..'

'Thank you for this start to my vacation.....


	5. Blondie?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, before continuing reading I want to apologise truly towards a writer. A few days ago I got a message from a reader that warned me about how my story is smiliar to another author's story (which I don't remember their name). 
> 
> Therefore, I read that recommendation and it does have some similarities with my first two chapters.   
> With luck my story's plot/argument isn't like theirs (beautifully written and told), even thought the beggingins are quite similar, the arguments aren't the same and I can confirm it already.  
> But I still wanted to apologise if anyone else thought the same thing while reading Udo.
> 
> My intentions were never to Copyright no-ones original and personal novel, but to publish a story I thought of in quarantine and really wanted to share to the world.   
> Thanks for warning me, I was capable of apologising. 
> 
> Yet I do hope you keep reading Udo and reach for the charming end that awaits. Again I apologise for any inconvenience and thank you for reading Udo.
> 
> You may continue reading.

Between hours of chatter and petting new animals, Minho passed the time with a smile between his lips.  
There were times when Hara would get so excited that her words became incoherent, and she would just make expressive noises. But Minho could understand her.

It was fun to try to get her emotions right through facial expressions, sounds and gestures. All this because while he was doing Hara's simple work, Hara was eating her salad. So she couldn't talk, politeness first and foremost.

Yet that was not what Minho was enjoying the most, but the care of different sea creatures who were ill. If this was his cousin's day job, he was extremely lucky.   
If it were up to him, he would take his place and take care of whatever he needed to for whatever hours he needed to.

The tanks were divided by species and their diseases; for example, penguins with metabolic problems were separated from those with bone problems, or fish with obesity were separated from injured ones.... And so a long list went on.

Something surprising for Minho was the origin of each animal, since they were not transferred from other aquatic centers but saved from tragedies, abandonment, veterinarians...  
To end up here in a more detailed care, in addition to being exposed later to the public to appreciate their natural beauty. 

For these and many other reasons, the aquarium became more and more comfortable.

"Underneath the fin he has a wound, just spray that spray on him and that would work"

Hara's loud bite of the apple echoed in the black-haired boy's ear. With the aquarium's ambient music, the place was filled with productive tranquility.

"Hara" 

Minho called out still concentrating on the injured turtle.

"That's me, what's wrong?"

The boy put aside the maritime animal to remove his gloves and dry his hands. He inexpressively reached from his back pocket for the mysterious envelope he was still thinking about since its collection.

"What's that?"

"A letter for you, I went to get the mail this morning and got this.... I brought it to you because I was curious."

Hara was nodding silently, finishing her apple and gently taking the envelope. Without first reading any of the handwriting placed on it.

"Wow, it's from the USSS. It only took'em three n' a half months to send it to me, how cool."

Spoke sarcasticly to herself, as she held the letter.

The enclosure at the top was surrounded by a fence, exposing the inside of the aquarium. Where the rest of the people were located.

Minho approached the beginning of the fence, letting his body fall back against it. The views of the gigantic building were perfectly visible from that angle; every person entering, working.... Everything was possible to see from up there.

"I've been accepted apparently." 

The girl's thin voice came momentarily closer towards Minho. Talking to herself.

"I didn't know you were looking to get into that university."

One didn't need to look at his face to know that somehow the atmosphere had become quite tense. And he didn't understand why he felt hurt to find out something like that, it's not like it was a bad thing by any means. 

His cousin had gotten into his dream university apparently, it was something to celebrate.

"Me neither" 

She replied in surprise with a chuckle, still analyzing the contents of the envelope.

"If you go to Seoul, will you leave Udo?"

There it was, the reason Minho felt so sore inside. His only goal in life was to finish his studies in order to flee Seoul as soon as possible to some place where he would feel comfortable, happy.   
To be able to live a prosperous life full of passion and love.

Apparently Udo made him feel something similar, and if Hara left for Seoul he wouldn't be able to come along.

He would lose the chance to spend summers here and fill his wall with pictures, plus he would lose the chance to talk to the blond surfer he kept thinking about.

"I don't think so, y'see this came out through a fight with Joo. We argued pretty hard n' all I wann'it at the time was to get the hell out so I'd never see her again."

"Did you work it out?"

Hara slid her hand to his shoulder, a sweet wistful smile plastered on her face.

"That's why you're here buddy"

Minho was getting lost in the conversation again. Whatever had happened had been her fault, even seemingly almost breaking up the one remaining close-knit family.

"Was it my fault?"

"No, of course not. What I mean is.."

The young woman copied her resting position on the railing, watching the hubbub.

"I never liked the idea of bein' taken away from you, y'know? You were my best friend n' you were ripped away from me 'cause of family quarrels, I just wanted to see you again."

Minho felt his heart break, an ocean flooded every inch of his soul as he heard Hara's honest words towards him. 

"I was constantly thinkin' 'bout how you were. When I got into a fight with Joo, the first thin' that came to my mind was to go to your university, so I could spend more time with you.."

"Why didn't you?"

" 'cause I realized that, such behavior was very selfish, Joo had her reasons to be mad at me n' the family, get it?"

"Yeah, I understand.."

He still didn't dare to ask what had become of that fight and why it happened. Minho as a child was very sheltered by his parents, never leaving his room.   
The outside world and all the social events around him were unknown to him.

He had to learn to develop himself in society on his own, because of his parents' over-protection.

It was for this reason that family problems were also of no concern to him.

Yet the important thing at that moment was not his non-existent relationship with his family but the how lucky he was to have someone like Hara, his cousin. Whatever had happened quite some time ago, didn't matter anymore. Minho wanted to rebuild that friendship he had with Hara, the one he recalled her saying how much she missed it.

However he remembered almost nothing of his life before the one he had now of anxiety and depression. It was as if everything had been erased and his memory could only remember the present period.

But that was okay, he would get used to Hara and his aunt Joo again in no time. He just had to make an effort to create moments with them, to live much more than in his room. 

"But hey, the point is, you're here now n' we can make up for everythin' we lost!"

She chattered as always, animated.

"Maybe even much more than what was lost."

Minho smiled to himself, much more than what was lost. What sincere and precious words to describe his new beginning at Udo. 

"I'm looking forward to it, honestly.."

Said sincere without thinking the boy, catching his cousin by surprise.

"I'm so glad, then we have lots of things to do together."

Both cousins chatted for a few minutes about plans for these three long summer months. Hara knew the whole island and even beyond; so she came up with some of the most creative ideas.  
Which Minho was eagerly looking forward to start living. 

"Hara, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, shoot."

The jet pointed slyly at a group of familiar manes, all consciously blonde. Among them was his favorite surfer, or so it seemed from that distance.

Plus a hair with longer mane somewhat, all too, familiar... why did it look so much like to him....

"do you know who those are?"

Hara peeked, following his finger until she visualized the group of boys he was referring to.  
She snapped her fingers in several nods.

"Those are Udo's Surfers, they call'em Wave Riders."

Minho turned his face back towards the 'Wave Riders', resting his chin on the railing.

"They're well known y'know, some of them have participated in surfin' competitions n' won first place. Of course, if you don't know 'bout it, they are totally unknown to you."

"Do you know what their names are?"

Hara snorted, before smiling. 

"I think so, but from here it's a little hard to see them..."

"The guy with the brunette hair roots?"

"How could I not know who J.One is? He's a champion surfer!"

Minho somehow felt the same enthusiasm as she did when he heard those words about that angel.

"That's his name?"

"It's his nickname for competitions, but he's the Han's youngest son."

The Han... Several people had uttered that name before, or so Minho remembered. Aunt Joo in one of her talks about wealthy families for sure had talked about them, and even at the post office Young-Hyung had a rack with that name on it.

Who were the Han? He didn't quite know yet, but he was going to find out.

"Then next to'em is SpearB, CB97 'n I.N. The other two surf but ain't champions, I think they're Hwang 'n Kim."

He also remembered those names from somewhere.

"The one with long hair is called Hwang?"

"Yeah, Hwang-

"Hyunjin!"

Both cousins looked at where the shouting was coming from, apparently this Hyunjin had been left talking to someone at the entrance and had lost track of the rest of his friends.

What an extrovert, distracting himself from others to talk to other people.  
For sure that would never happen to Minho in his life, the only times he has ever gotten lost from a group was at his university while they were on a hike, so he could take some pictures of the scenery.

Since then he hasn't gotten lost anywhere, with the exception of the airport two days ago. Luckily he met Hyunjin there and helped him catch his flight on time without having to walk around the building from head to toe. 

What happened to Hyunjin? The truth was that he hadn't contacted him since their departures on the ferry, he had his number so it wouldn't be too difficult to call him.

Nit even Hyunjin had called him.. Maybe he had lost interest in him. Or thinking positively, he was probably distracted with his friends and his surfer boyfriend somewhere in Udo....

Wait.

"Hyunjin? Did you say Hyunjin?"

Minho repeatedly asked Hara, approaching with interest. Intoning in the name of the now familiar airport member.

"I was gonna say it yea, why?"

"That's the one from the airport!"

"What did you say?! That's the one who helped my cousin?! Hell, it's not too late to talk to him!"

Hara almost ran out of the tank stockpiles, stopping at the entrance.

"What're you waitin' for? We gotta get you friends!"

Minho smiled between small chuckles, putting aside his gloves and the rag he had used on the turtles.

"I'm coming!"

Both young men reached the hallway between hurried steps to get down to the tourist floor, but just when they had managed to cross the entire immense, glassed-in hallway; voices called out to them.

Both young adults reached the hallway amid hurried steps to get down to the tourist floor, but just as they had managed to cross the entire huge, glassed-in hallway; voices called out to them.

"Hey youngsters!"

Joo's distinctive voice boomed through the corridors, paralyzing her relatives instantly.

"Shit!"

Hara turned around, between long sighs. As Joo walked calmly followed by a handsome man in a suit.

"Hara, who's that?"

Minho muttered above a sigh, leaning her body towards her cousin but not tearing her gaze away from the intimidating man.

"That's Mr. Han, he's the director of the aquarium."

She replied kindly, just before bowing to greet her boss at work.

That huge, handsome man of such large dimensions, was J.One's father? So if in any nonexistent alternate universe, Minho got to be with the surfer he'd have to face.... him.

But that was to be expected, his father was the same. He was just skinnier and much less sympathetic at first glance.

He didn't know 'Han' at all and was already imagining alternate lives with him. Is this what they call liking someone?

"Miss Kang, shouldn't you be cleaning the sea turtles?"

Hara laughed accompanied by Mr. Han's low, ringing laugh.

"My cousin has done it for me, 'n I would even say way better than me. You should think 'bout hirin' him Mister Han." 

The dark-eyed female wrapped her firm arm around the jet's neck. Pulling him gently as she praised him in front of the lord boss and his aunt.

"Good afternoon sir Lee."

"A pleasure Mr. Han."

Both men showed their respect for each other with a gentle bow as the women watched in silence.

"I see you have been productive in my waiting."

"Yes sir, sorry for doing my cousin's work. But she had to eat and wasn't going to have time to do both"

Minho began to sweat, as his legs trembled slightly, he fiddled with the wrist bang he always wore on his left wrist.

"If I can be honest with you Sir Lee, your aunt and I have several jobs pending to refurbish this and the other aquariums. We could use an extra helping hand from a man as handsome and dashing as you."

Joo smiled at his nephew, just before winking at him.  
This was the famous "talk" Joo and Mr. Han had pending apparently. 

"I would be honored."

"I know you're studying to be a lawyer, but you know what they say, it never hurts to try new things don't you think?"

This had definitely all been arranged by one of his favorite girls. You could just see the happy gestures on their faces to confirm it.

"You're right, thank you very much. But I'll think about it anyway."

"Well, on Monday you can come if you want and we'll hand out everything you need for your work. You'll have to cook double food Joo." 

Eun-Joo laughed along with Mr. Han, as they both continued walking down the cold hallway while the youngsters were left behind stunned.

"What just happened."

Hara threw herself onto her tall companion's back to hug him tightly.

"Maybe you work with me! You can't run away from me!"

"What you don't want is for me not to be separated from you."

"Maybe."

Without realizing it, time flew by fast. Every minute of the afternoon fled in the wind, letting their problems disappear and enjoying their afternoon at the aquarium.

During those hours, Hara had given him a huge tour of every inch of the grand maritime building. Similar to the one she had done when he arrived yesterday.

Even more fun, because knowing Minho's social phobia, Hara had used the platforms attached to the roof that crisscrossed the entire place to guide him around.

Normally those floating walkways were used by security officers at nightfall or electricians. 

However Minho had been an exception, as Hara used it anyway to make him feel more comfortable.  
It served as a great help honestly, seeing everything from above without having to cross anyone.

"So, did you enjoy the afternoon with me?"

"Good."

Joo waited leaning against the car for her nephew and daughter, smoking cigarette after cigarette.

"Bullshit, such little enthusiasm in your voice."

"It's true, I had a good time." Said secure Minho. 

" 'kay, 'kay I believe you."

Even if he still didn't talk much among his relatives, it was true that he had become accustomed to their presences between the few hours he had been in Bo-Man.

But every afternoon comes to an end, accompanied with the sunset, a sweet cup of fruit tea and the soothing scent of lavender in the air.

Minho, Hara and Joo found themselves enjoying that short but precious moment.  
Loving the detailed colorful sky, adorned with small turquoise clouds floating aimlessly.  
This would also be a picture Minho would hang on his hallway walls.

*click*

The sound of Aunt Joo's antique camera, or as she preferred to call it "vintage", resounded.

"Look how pretty it came out!"

If there was one thing Minho had learned in his short stay at Udo, it was that Eun-Joo was passionate about photography. But not just any photograph, she had to include her nephew and daughter somehow, otherwise the photo was invalid.

Still it didn't bother either of the two young cousins, in fact they tended to ask for a copy of the moments taken in them.  
Only two days in udo and Joo had already used up two packs of paper for her polaroid. Each of 45 photos... A lot.

"Woah! This is officially my secon' favorite!"

Enthusiastically claimed Hara as she gently held the photo between her fingers.

"Auntie Joo, there's a long summer ahead for you to take 25 pictures a day.. don't you think?"

Joo fluttered the boy's dark hair with a distinct smile.

"The first two days have to be memorized honey. Anyway, polaroid paper is cheap."

"Well they've jacked it up in price, just so y'know."

"Really? Those thieves! This is the only hobby I have!"

Chattered the forty-something woman without regret. It sounded as if they had sold all of a girl's favorite collectible cards.

Their conversations were always jovial and fun, but Minho returned to the strong warm landscape he had been watching earlier.

How many more people in Udo were ooking at that same sky right at the same time? Two? Three? The whole town, or was he the only one interested in it?

Is Han staring at it too? It's something to admire, something to remember for eternity and anyone who saw it would say the same. They would take a photo, sit and wonder why the sky changes so drastically from a color so cold to one as warm as orange or red.

To Minho, those colors were romantic. Perfect for sharing with someone special while intertwining your fingers with theirs and ignoring the world around you.

Just the kind of date he imagined having with Han. 

He fantasized too much about having a life with that guy without even having the guts to seek him out or talk to him.

"Hara we forgot about the surfers,"

Hara set the now empty cup aside to smack her forehead with the palm of her hand.

"No fuckin' way, what were we thinkin'?"

"Vacation"

"Quite a pair of clueless people I have here," interrupted Joo with her typical iconic laugh.

"Yeah, we're pretty clueless."

That cluelessness could have been so good. If they had gone to talk to them Minho would have Han's phone number right now plus a bunch of people to meet.

"Fuck that's too bad, now what?" Hara stuffed a cracker in her mouth grumpily.

"Let's not panic. If they're surfers I'm sure they'll go to the open field on Fridays."

"This Friday is Young-Hyung's house." Reminded Minho. 

Joo snapped her fingers before finally sitting down in her floral hammock.

"That's true, well shit" Joo replied again. 

"Young-Hyung's house? Oh fuck, that's what you had told me 'bout before?"

Minho nodded at his cousin's words.

"Well they're probably gonna show up there, 'cause the Wave Riders don't miss a party for anythin', they're like the popular ones."

"See? There's nothing to worry about. So finish your tea and go to sleep, there's a long week ahead."

"Yes Joo" replied the colleagues at the same time, laughing in unison afterwards. 

Continuing with some strange story Hara would have under her sleeve, night fell at last. With it the starry sky made its appearance accompanied by the gentle, maritime, night breeze.

The perfect weather for sleeping in a sweatshirt, without a blanlek and without socks. Minho's favorite weather.

"G'night!"

"Nights.."

"Rest my little babies."

Two nights, Minho had been at the Joo's house for two nights and his favorite part was the arrival of bedtime.  
When everyone said goodnight to each other from their rooms...

Just like in the movies he watched on TV while his parents worked. You peek out the door, say goodnight to the relatives and go to sleep with a smile tucked between your lips.

It was beautiful. 

Minho pulled the magical sweatshirt that appeared on the floor in the mornings out of his closet to change into more comfortable clothes and crawl into his bed.

The stars were shining a little brighter every night, he imagined at the end of the summer if the stars would shine so brightly that they would unveil the entire population.

But tonight, in addition to seeing the brightest stars, he wanted it to be quick. So he could wake up and go find the surfer he was obsessing over.  
So the best thing to do would be to close his eyes and not waste his sleep-deprived hours on absurd thoughts.

Getting used to a balanced sleep schedule on his vacation would help a lot?

Right?

"Lee Minho! Wake up!" 

The new daily alarm, it seemed, that it wasn't just about the neighbors' rooster anymore; but also added a newly risen and very energetic 19-year-old named Hara.

"Minhoo~!" 

Hara, dragged out the last syllable for a few minutes before jumping on top of the sleepy Minho.

"C'mon, we gotta go shoppin', it's Wednesday today'n there are bargain' in the pizza'n cereal section."

Time was flying by since the last time Minho saw Han, it was already Wednesday and little by little the summer was advancing with the heat.  
Even if only five days had passed since his arrival at Bo-Man, it was still hard for Minho to get a conversation with the boy.

The mornings were light, the breeze would sneak through the balcony louvers to reach Minho's cheeks. Minutes later, rays of light would hit the small mirror in the room and break into distinct beams.

Just before being awakened by the repetitive crowing of the neighboring rooster, which Hara called Neku (Neko > cat in Japanese but misspoken) since it is just as annoying as Soongi.

Soongi is one of Joo's cats, who has just returned from her vet and grooming appointments.   
At first, Minho and Soongi didn't get along. Rather really badly, but it was due to a small incident; on Monday Aunt Joo brought Soongi back by surprise, Minho without noticing that there was a cat lying on the sofa sat on it....

We can all imagine how that story ended.

One pair of broken pyjamas and a few other scratches. 

In any case, their relationship is going much better. Luckily.  
Soongi spends much of her time in her favorite room, aka Minho's room. So they're getting along forcibly.

Turning back to the poor jet's rambunctious awakening, Hara uncovered her cousin in a bang. Thereupon she opened the balcony doors wide, and the air made its entrance with force.

"Hara, today is Tuesday."

"You wished. It's Wednesday 'n we have to go to the supermarke', you sleepyhead."

Minho had already gotten used to getting up without a sweatshirt and then being woken up by his cousin.

"Okay, okay, I'll get up now."

"Well, I can't even see you open your eyes."

"You sound just like Joo."

Hara sat on a bedroom chair, looking out at the sea views. As the boy woke up and pulled his sweatshirt back over his naked torso.

"You're so lucky you get to have these views."

"I'll trade you the room if you don't wake me up at ten in the morning every day."

Both old teens laughed in unison before looking at each other.

"You're kiddin' right?"

"Obviously. The views before the time"

"Shit, I was so close"

"But you weren't"

"But I was'

Minho fluttered his cousin's already tousled bangs to shoo her out of his room. 

"Go get changed, crazy hairs"

" 'kay sleepy bunny"

They both returned to their respective 'cages' as they heard Joo's shouts from the living room saying 'I'm about to commit a double murder and I plan to write a book about it'.  
No one felt like having to clean human blood off the expensive carpet, so they had better get ready.

Minho changed into a rather simple and summery-like outfit; a medium wide sleeve t-shirt with a phrase that read 'I get paid to stand', paired with short, black jeans and his white Converse-High. Not forgetting his left wristband.  
In addition to brushing his hair loosely and putting on a cap, because it wasn't very clean. And to be honest, no one felt like showering every day.

When he finished, he left his room to go and disturb his cousin's room. He didn't know how they had formed such a close bond in the short time he had been at Bo-Man, but he wasn't complaining either.

"Hara, you done?"

The claimed girl opened the door, revealing her black shorts with fishnet stockings underneath; a short-sleeved t-shirt big enough to cover a little more than half her arm and her black and blue Jordans.

"Yeah, is not like we're goin' to a red carpet"

"You'd be ugly anyways"

"Deadass"

Minho winked playfully, receiving a nudge in response. The danger of walking down the stairs while playing fight with your cousin is very high, enough to remind him of Hara's fall on the first day at Bo-Man.

"You two, if you take any longer I'll fossilize."

"Calm down Joo, there's not much time left for that anyway." 

The aforementioned dramatist grabbed a flip-flop from the entrance pointing in Hara's direction, closing one eye and using one finger as a distance regulator.

"If I gain power from my geezerly body, I'll make a half-wit out of you."

"Watch me tremble" Hara replied mockingly.

Until she received the flip-flop her mother had so prepared.

"There! Next time it'll be a fridge instead!"

Minho laughed as he gently pushed her cousin, who was mumbling incomprehensible words.

"That shit hurt."

"Come on we won't make it to the supermarket at this pace you lazy asses!"

Hara stumbled indignantly with her arms crossed towards the car, followed by Minho.   
Locking the front door with the keys, the boy grinned dumbly repeating the whole recent scene. What a pair of women the world had decided to place in his life.

They're like two teenagers sharing a house, the same age. Surely he was the only sane one of the three residents.  
But it didn't bother him, the amusement of both girls made him laugh too. And he really needed it, a good way to cure sadness is by surrounding yourself with people and places that calm you down and help you get the best out of yourself.

He hadn't taken a single anxiety pill since Saturday, except for this morning. A supermarket is a whole other level. Still, he was somehow proud of himself.  
He was even going to supermarkets now, apparently. Something he would never have thought of doing back in Seoul.

No doubt about it.

Even thought he had only been with these girls for almost a week, what will become of his former eager personality by the end of the summer?

How exciting to find out.

But now the important thing was, to concentrate on helping with the shopping.

"By the way Minho, I had forgotten to mention to you that the supermarket is in another town. It's just a little, quite bit bigger than the shops here. If for any reason you want to go back to the car, there's no problem, okay honey?"

Joo was getting more and more used to him and his anxiety. She was looking for ways to go for a walk together with him, laugh and have a good time to make him forget about such an abridging feeling.

"Thanks aunty."

"Hey if that happen', I'm comin' with you to the car. We're a team now, either the two of us or none of us"

On the other hand Hara had created an imaginary team between her and Minho, and whatever happened they did everything together. Like the good team they supposedly were.  
It was like having a twin sister who accompanies you everywhere and is there to hold your already exhausted body, hug you when you cry and smile at you when you need it.

"And leave Aunt Joo alone?"

"Lemme remind y'all of the slipper-smack I gave your cousin earlier. I'm immortal don't worry honey!"

"I was 'bout to say that" stammered Hara back with a chuckle.

Set to one of the summer songs on the radio, the trip was joyful   
as always. Some of the songs were already familiar to Minho, not enough to know all the lyrics but enough to tap his foot to their rhythm.

The trip was quite short compared to the two and a half hours from Bo-Man to the ferry station.  
In just 20 minutes they arrived at the big supermarket they were talking about.

Minho could firmly confirm that what Joo had said about the size of the store was completely true.  
It had nothing to do with the small stalls or bakeries that were in the village.  
This supermarket was three times the size of all of them.

A shiver climbed the boy's back.

"It's h-huge" Minho accented between shivers.

"Yeah, as we told you" said Hara, running her hand down her cousin's back "Can I tell you a secret?"

Minho hesitated to answer but ended up nodding slightly.

"Anxiety is like wearin' prescription sunglasses" commented her cousin. 

Even though it wasn't quite understandable what she was trying to get at, Minho let her continue to look at her.

"It makes you see everythin' darker 'n bigger than it is. But if you take'em off for a momen', even if you've gotten used to'em, you realize how colorful 'n how small the world actually is" Hara finally finished saying.

"Fucking glasses." 

"I know, but you're not the only one who puts up with'em. You're not alone, not anymore bro." 

Minho looked back to the building again more confidently, taking his cousin's hand.

He was no longer alone.

"Hey I know it's fascinating the modern, rectangular concrete construction of this building, but even I who am an architect am not so fascinated enough as to be transfixed staring at it."

The silence was broken by Joo's comment coming from locking the car.

"We were just talking," said Minho. 

"Wanna know what? I love you guys a whole lot, that means if anyone tries to do anything to you even if it's only a glance, I'll cut their throat. So there's nothing to worry about."

Both young adults followed the older one into the building, still with their hands clasped together.

Minho wasn't clear on what he felt when he held his cousin's hand, as he had never held hands with anyone but Felix. But he did know that he was safer with her close by and his aunt's sadistic but protective hand.

They grabbed a cart from the queue leaving it in Hara's hands. 

"If you wanna, you can hold onto the cart so you don't get lost" offered the black-haired girl.

"Okay" thanked Minho.

"Alright guys, we have to buy; pasta, rice, soup, drink, sauces, kimchi, cereals and junk food that Hara likes."

Joo stopped dead in her tracks as she switched her sunglasses to her eyeglasses, reading the small list she held between her fingers.

"Everyon' craves a pizza or oreos once in a while" defended the female holding the cart with a hand on her chest.

"No need to be dramatic, I want ice cream and I know it's junk food."

Minho laughed quietly. Being with Eun-Joo was like reading the typical twitter blog of weekly phrases that you identify with everyday.

"Wasn't there a lack of detergent too?" Minho added doubtfully.

"That's right. Smart boy, I forgot to make a list of things for the house, fuckin' shit."

"Wohoo Joo, no need to swear"

Joo shot a murderous look at her daughter, causing her to suddenly start praying the Ave Maria. 

"Listen up, I'll get the stuff for home and you guys get what it says on this list. Nothing more, nothing less, no tricks. I've memorized it" said Aunt Joo before handing the list to Minho.

" 'Kay" they replied at the same time.

"See you later, call me if you need anything."

" 'Kay" they replied again with a smile as they watched the older one go their way.

"Where do we start?"

Hara glanced at the small list written by her mother before answering her cousin.

"Let's start by gettin' cereal 'n cookies first 'cause they're in the same aisle" she devised starting to drag the cart.

"If we get lost it's your fault."

"Damn you're right bro" the girl admitted dryly.

They both looked at each other before laughing together. 

"Let's concentrate 'n do this right, see if that way Joo'll buy us a TV."

"Good idea."

The adventure to get all the materials for home had begun, swapping positions, Hara was taking each thing indicated by Minho. Who was now driving the cart through the supermarket. 

Luckily doing this kind of thing with her crazy cousin was pretty fun, as she would suddenly start singing with the juice brick as a microphone to whatever random song was played on the speakers in the hallway.

According to her, 'you're not born with shame, so if I don't offen'd anyone I'mma hold a concert right here', always so sure of herself.  
Even if it meant playing an invisible guitar with a cereal box in the middle of the breakfast aisle. If she wanted to do it, she had to do it.

Minho was learning so much by her side.

Not just about music and how handy can a cereal box be for an improvised concert, but about life and humans themselves.

"Hey Min, can you go over there 'n get the oreo's please? We misse'it 'n that shelf is like four meters high" Hara asked while holding two packets of oatmeal in her hands.

"Ah, yeah sure. But don't go away."

" 'Course not, I'm not movin' my ass from here" Minho ran his hand through the girl's hair before walking towards the direction of the cookies.

He wasn't going to lie, nerves suddenly attacked him as he lost sight of the cart and his cousin.   
But he had to do this, overcome his fear. It was just a pair of glasses.

Minho looked at the shelving, easily reaching for the cookies that were on the shelf.

"It's not that tall," he said to himself.

Considering that Hara is 5'3 feet tall, the shelf may be a bit high for someone that height.

"Excuse me, can you pass me a pack of those please? If it's no bother."

"Sure" he reapplied still unable to tell who it was.

Even though his voice was somewhat familiar.

"Here you go-

"What the fuck? Minho?!"

The boy turned his face to the side, visualizing the dashing blond boy with the bright smile he had missed so much all these days.

"Hyunjin?"

Beside him stood another boy who was quite attractive as well as fit. His features were gritty, rugged and very masculine but stood out perfectly with his dark under-cut. Plus his summer e-boy style that highlighted his well-trained arms and legs.

"Excuse me, my cookies..."

Minho turned his gaze again as he waited for Hyunjin to reach him.

But his heart stopped instantly.

Colliding with the beautiful dark, hopeful orbs of the blond surfer. As always, being struck by how precious he could be to him; his wavy blond rooted brown hair long enough to cover his eyes, full pink lips ending in a sweet, soft smile....

"Pretty boy?"

"Blondie?"


End file.
